


Headspace

by Yojimbra



Category: Naruto
Genre: F/M, Friends to Lovers, Friendship, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-06-29
Updated: 2017-10-21
Packaged: 2018-11-20 19:15:12
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 13
Words: 49,886
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11341620
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Yojimbra/pseuds/Yojimbra
Summary: Whenever he uses his shadow clone Jutsu a single Sakura clone appears. The real Sakura in Konoha begins to experience vivid daydreams of her and Naruto, despite him being away on a training trip. But are these just daydreams or is there something more to them?





	1. Chapter 1

“So you’re going on a training trip?” The bitterness that he was leaving her behind unintentionally slipped into her tone. She knew it was silly and that in part he was doing this to bring back Sasuke, but she couldn’t help but wish that Naruto could stay in Konoha. 

She wanted at least some semblance of her normal life to stay behind, even if it was Naruto. But still, how could she dream of denying him a chance to train with Jiraiya of the Sanin, even she wasn’t that selfish. 

Naruto nodded, his face still bandaged from his battle with Sasuke. He nodded into his ramen and gave her a confident smile. She wondered what had been damaged more, his body or his spirit in the fight with Sasuke. His smile seemed dimmer than before, just enough that Sakura could see that he was hurting too. “Don’t worry Sakura! I’ll be back in no time and then I’ll bring Sasuke back.” 

“No,” Sakura clenched her fist and glared at Naruto, her remaining teammate nearly jumped out of his seat. There he went again trying to take the burden onto himself, forcing her to the sidelines to try and protect her. She was tired of staring at his back. “I’ll get stronger too, then we’ll go get Sasuke. Together. As a team.”

He turned to look at her. It was a look he had given her a few times; like she was the most amazing person in the entire world. She didn’t deserve that look, it made her feel weak, there was no way she deserved it. Naruto then smiled at her. “Yea We’ll get.”

“Sasuke together.” Sakura heard herself say. She felt funny. Really really funny. Like fifteen cups of coffee before noon funny. And what’s more is that she was staring at herself: A confused version of herself. 

She hoped that Naruto was stupid enough to turn into her, only because she didn’t want to deal with the alternative. She looked down and saw orange. She met her own gaze once again, a terrified expression on her face. “Naruto?” 

“Sakura?” 

They both nodded. A few moments of silence as understanding washed over them, the calm before the storm. Then panic. “Ahh! What are you doing in my body!” 

“What am I doing in your body?” It was impossible to tell which one said which as they both screamed at the same time. 

Sakura stood, Naruto’s legs were short. And she felt something shift. Was this how boys always were? It felt like she could run a mile, no wonder Naruto was so hyper all the time. 

It was then that she heard the malicious cackling that was all too familiar. Sakura spun and looked up to the roof behind them. Ino’s legs were being kicked into the air, laughing so hard she had fallen on her back. “Naruto if you do anything to my body, if you even think about doing anything to my body then I will end you.”

Like a good boy, Naruto nodded and went rigid. 

“Ino-pig!” Sakura shouted and began to chase after her screaming blond friend as she laughed through the village. 

XXXX

After the horrible experience that was being inside of Naruto’s body Sakura saw him off. It felt like there was something more that should have been said between, something missing in their goodbye. But the only thing that was really missing was Sasuke. 

Sakura paused for a moment before the doors to Tsunade’s office. If Naruto was being trained by Jiraiya. And Sasuke went to Orochimaru. There was only one person that she could turn to keep up with them, the last member of the Sannin. 

She knocked on the door. 

There was a scrambling and a clanking of bottles. “Yes? Come in.” 

The room smelled of booze and ink. Behind a desk filled with paperwork sat Tsunade a curious expression on her face with a single blonde eyebrow raised. Sakura bowed politely. She would not leave this room without Tsunade agreeing to train her. 

It was the only path she could take. “Lady Tsunade.” 

“Ahh, Sakura correct? Naruto’s teammate?” Sakura nodded. “The brat talked a lot about you, but what brings you to my office?” 

Sakura steeled her soul and stood straight. Correcting her posture so that she stood with pride that she shouldn’t have, Sakura took a deep breath and met Tsunade’s eyes. She felt the mouse standing before the dragon. “I would like you to train me.” 

Tsunade looked taken aback, whatever she had been expecting from this, that clearly wasn’t it. Then her surprise turned into amusement. “Oh, and why should I consider your request?” 

“Because when Naruto and Sasuke return I want them to stare at my back for once. I’m tired of relying on them.” A nervous sweat dripped down her back. That wasn’t what she had planned to say in the slightest. “I need to get stronger so that they can rely on me instead of me always being in the way.” 

Tsunade let out a chuckle and stood up from her desk, her heels tapped against the ground with each step. “That’s why you want me to train you, not why I should train you.” 

“I,” Sakura began desperately trying to find the magical words that would convince Tsunade to train her. Honesty would be her best bet. “If you accept me I will be the hardest working apprentice you’ve ever seen.” 

“I’m sure you would.” Tsunade stood before her, despite the woman’s short stature she had an air of confidence about her that made her seem much larger. With hawk-like eyes Tsunade examined Sakura, pulling as much information as she could out of her. “Getting strong than your teammates is fine, but what is your end goal?” 

Sakura swallowed a gulp of air that rivaled the desert in its dryness. Her goal was to simply be strong enough to not rely on Naruto and Sasuke. To fight by their side. Sasuke’s goal was to become the stronger than his brother. Naruto’s was to become the strongest Hokage ever.

She never doubted Sasuke, and now she didn’t doubt Naruto. Which meant her simple goal was a lot more complicated. If she wanted to keep up with her teammates then that would require; “My goal is to surpass you Lady Tsunade.” 

“Good,” Tsunade’s smile turned cheerful and she slapped her hands onto Sakura’s shoulders. “We’ll start right now, From today forth you will call me Master.”

Sakura did not like the sound of that. 

XXXX

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” 

Sakura blinked, how did she get here? Where even was here? A lightly forested river meandered through its rocky banks, and a cozy looking inn was nestled between two green trees. 

“Sakura?” Naruto’s voice shifted in tone the same it always did when he was confused. She spun to see Naruto standing on a rock. What on earth was going on here? The last thing she remembered was… she didn’t know what the last thing she remembered was. “What are you doing here and why are you wearing my clothes?” 

Sakura looked down and found that she was indeed wearing Naruto’s clothes. “What the hell?”

“Oh, I know! You’re just a clone trying to pull a prank on me! Well, it's not going to work!” 

XXXX

A ball slammed into Sakura’s face with enough force to not only knock her off her feet but force her to spin around twice in the air before she landed flat on her back. The entire world screamed of pain. 

“When I said to try and catch one I didn’t mean with your face.” 

Sakura heard her master shout from across the clearing though really it was but a single bell in the chorus of pain that wracked her mind. 

What on earth was that? Why was she daydreaming of Naruto all of a sudden, especially in the middle of training? It felt so real too, more real than any of her past fantasies of Sasuke asking her out. That only made the daydream more confusing. It was so random there was no context, no well any reason for her to even think about that. 

“Giving up already?” Tsunade called out, “Cause if so I don’t think you’ll ever catch up to Naruto, let alone surpass me.” 

Sakura rolled onto stomach and pushed herself up off the ground. A bit of blood leaked from her nose. For a brief moment, she wondered if Tsunade would be offended if she told her the goals were backward. “I’m not giving up!” 

“Then stand up.” She could hear the pride in Tsunade's voice. They had only been training for a week but already Sakura could feel the progress. She wasn’t making great strides and leaps, but slowly and surely she was climbing the first cliff towards her goals. 

With a groan, Sakura stood up removing the last bit of blood from her nose. No doubt Tsunade would guide her through fixing it later. Then her master spiked yet another ball at her. It was going to be a long day. 

XXXX

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” 

Sakura blinked again. It was the same river as before. She was still wearing Naruto’s clothes and Naruto was standing in front of her. But why was she here again?

“Dammit! Why do you keep trying to prank me it won’t work and it’s not funny! Besides you’re nowhere near as cute as the real Sakura.” Naruto walked over and poked her hard in the shoulder. 

XXXX

Sakura barely had enough time to realize that another ball was flying towards her. She didn’t have time to dodge. Reflexes kicked in; she snared the ball with her arms drawing it into her chest, had the ball been thrown by a shinobi more her strength it would have been a clean catch. But this was thrown by her master. 

A clean catch was a bad idea. The ball picked her up and ran her all the way into a large tree. The crack that came from the collision was so loud that she wondered if her spine had broken. 

She managed to land on her feet at least. 

Spine was battered and bruised but unbroken. 

“When I said catch this! I didn’t mean literally!” Tsunade called out from across the clearing. “But A for effort!”

Sakura could only nod, she wasn’t entirely certain if she could separate her arms from the ball. Instead, she squeezed it tighter, unwilling to let ball have a single inch to move and inflict more damage on her. With legs that wobbled like noodles, Sakura walked forward. “Thank you, Master!” 

Tsunade seemed to cross the distance in an instant catching Sakura before she fell forward. “Alright, I think that’s enough for today, we’ll be doing the rest of your training now.” 

That meant one thing, books, books and more books. There was even a book about the books. 

XXXX

“Shadow Clone Jutsu”

This time Sakura was ready. It was the same place as before, with her wearing the same clothes. This time she was going to find Naruto and beat the answer out of him! Only there wasn’t just one Naruto this time. 

“Ha! I just have to make more clones and then you won’t show up.” One of the Naruto said sticking his tongue out at her. Something about him felt different than the other Narutos. He must be the original. “Honestly you should just.”

“Listen here Idiot,” Sakura lunged for him, grabbing Naruto by his collar, and pulling him inches off the ground. “I have no idea what’s going on or why I’m here. Or why I keep disappearing. So you better start explaining right now.” 

“Wait you’re not a clone?” Naruto’s eyes went wide as a familiar panic set in when he realized Sakura was mad at him. “Sakura!? what are you doing here; how are you here; why do I keep making you?” 

Sakura grit her teeth in anger, her mother said if she kept doing that she’d wreck her teeth but Naruto just forced her to do it. She should charge him for getting her teeth fixed. “That’s what I want to know Idiot! And why Can’t I remember what happened before either?” 

Naruto struggled, kicking his feet slightly. The fact that it was all an act fueled Sakura’s irritation. He could easily break free from her grip or have his clones help her. And apparently, he could make her disappear whenever he wanted. With a snarl, she threw him onto his ass. 

“I don’t know okay!” Naruto mumbled sitting up into a cross-legged position, it was his thinking pose. He scratched the back of his head and squinted his eyes. “Just when I make clones you kept appearing and you disappeared like clones. So I thought you were a clone pulling a prank on me or something.” 

“Why would your clones do that? They’re literally you. Idiot!” She barked, pinching her nose in frustration. This was just her luck. 

“You sure you’re Sakura? You a lot meaner than her.” A quick glare cut that thought from Naruto’s tongue. “Anyways I don’t know, I guess I thought my clones would do that because I missed you or something?” 

Sakura groaned and stomped her feet in frustration. She did not like the sound of this at all, was she just some figment of Naruto’s imagination? No that wasn’t right, she had memories of Ino, and plenty of other times where Naruto wasn’t there. And if she was then she’d probably be all over Naruto some bullshit like that. “Why would you miss me?”

Naruto shrugged and smiled up at her, grabbing both of his feet as he leaned slightly to one side. “Well, it’s just that when I think about Konoha, I get excited about coming back in three years to see how strong and awesome you’ve become!” 

“A lot stronger than you’ll be that’s for sure!” Sakura snorted, looking away from Naruto to hide the light blush on her face. She turned to see another Naruto smiling at her. This was one of the few times Naruto had made her flush. Even if she knew it wasn’t earned it still felt good to be praised. “What are you even doing out here?” 

“Hey, brat!” A loud boisterous voice called from above the bank, Sakura turned to see Jiraiya walking over from the inn, he had a curious look on his face that was a combination of amused, happy, and a scowl. “That doesn’t look like the training I told you to do.” 

“It’s not my fault!” Naruto whined loudly from his sitting position. Pointing an accusatory finger at Sakura he stood up glaring at his teacher. “She showed up and I got distracted.” 

Pride filled Jiraiya’s face and even his back straightened at this. “Oh, oh-oh, got yourself a girlfriend do you? Well, I can’t say I’m surprised, you spent enough time around me that some of my moves must have rubbed off on you.” 

It was then that Jiraiya really looked at Sakura, it was only a glance then the old man frowned. “Isn’t she your girlfriend from Konoha? What’s she doing all the way out here? And wearing your clothes no less.” 

“That’s what I want to know!” Sakura shouted before Naruto could speak, going so far as to slap her hand over Naruto’s mouth before he said something stupid. “And I’m not his girlfriend.” 

That was a statement that would be true until the end of time. Nothing was going to change that fact, and nothing ever would. As surely as the sun would rise so too would Sakura Haruno never be Naruto’s girlfriend? 

“Whatever you say girlie, now do you want to explain to me what’s going on?” Jiraiya asked looking at Sakura and the still muzzled Naruto. “You sure you two aren’t dating?” 

“We’re not!” Sakura growled as if to prove her point she let go of Naruto and pushed him to the side roughly. “Now look, I don’t know why I’m here but for some reason whenever the Idiot, uses his Clone Jutsu I appear.” 

Jiraiya looked between the other two Naruto’s that stood side by side each other then back at Sakura. “So you’re the first clone he makes? Has he tried dispelling you?” 

“He got rid of me twice.” Sakura sent Naruto a dark glare. It was a weird feeling suddenly not existing, she was aware that time passed when she came back, but at the same time she didn’t know what happened in between.

“I see,” Jiraiya nodded into his hand and closed his eyes in thought. 

“Do you know what’s causing this?” What would happen to her if he did? She was just a clone if Jiraiya knew whatever was causing this and he fixed it would she never exist, would she even know that she didn’t exist anymore? 

Jiraiya interrupted Sakura existential crisis with the snap of his fingers. “I got it! I know what’s going on.” 

“You do?” Sakura asked both fearful and hopeful. 

“Yep,” Jiraiya crossed his arms and nodded to himself.

“What is it?” Naruto asked before Sakura had a chance to yell. 

With a flare for the dramatic Jiraiya opened his eyes and look right at Naruto. “Weird stuff happens around Naruto all the time. So this is just more weird stuff.” 

One moment she stood there staring at the person that was supposed to be a great ninja, capable of becoming Hokage. The next had him by the collar of his shirt shaking him like a flag caught in a windstorm. “What’s that supposed to mean! How does that help me!” 

He grabbed her arm. And then nothing.

XXXX

Pain wracked Sakura’s attention away from the book Tsunade had given her. Well, she hadn’t been given it specifically, her master had simply pointed at the wall and said get to work. It was on Sakura to figure out what order to read the books in. 

She glared at the page, vaguely aware that she hadn’t turned it in what must have been minutes. She had been daydreaming again; it had been her fault this time, the weird daydreams she had during her training physical training with Tsunade had been in the back of her mind constantly. This is why the last one was so much longer than the last one first two. 

That and not being assaulted by her master. 

“But why Naruto, and why do I keep thinking that I’m a clone of him.” Sakura leaned back and stared at the ceiling. The orange light of dusk filled in through the windows casting a dull glow on everything. Her hand brushed against a plate, a dinner set out for her by Shizune no doubt. 

It was getting late, she could go home and get some rest. 

Or she could do what Naruto and Sasuke would do, and train until she couldn’t train anymore. “Even if it is just reading books.” 

Sakura grabbed a cold bite of her dinner, she’d have to thank Shizune for it later and resumed her studies. “Hopefully that’s the last daydream I have for a while.” 

XXXX 

“Shadow Clone Jutsu” 

Sakura found and grabbed Naruto before her sight returned to her. “Did you just dispel me?” 

He was wet and dressed in a light blue bathrobe, she was no longer outside, the room they were in was bathed in a pale moonlight. 

“Sorry! That was Jiraiya, he wanted to see if we were telling the truth.” Naruto’s eyes drifted down and his face turned red even in the pale light. His head snapped wide to the side desperately trying not to look at her. 

She was wearing a blue bathrobe just like Naruto’s. It was loose around the chest. Sakura dropped Naruto like he was a hot potato. Clutching her knees she glared at the blond, How much did he see? Oh god, if she wore what he was wearing he could see everything just by not wearing clothes. “You jerk!” 

“It’s not my fault!” Naruto sat up refusing to meet her glare for more than a moment. His face looked as red as hers felt. “I just wanted to see if you wanted something to eat or to take a bath.” 

“Do your clones normally get hungry?” Sakura glared at him. There was no way that clones got hungry Naruto was just being a perverted idiot. 

“Yea and they’re really annoying too, plus if they get super hungry they go away.” Sakura glared harder at Naruto for making her feel like an idiot, it wasn’t her fault she didn’t know how his stupid clones worked! 

“Thanks, but I’m not hungry, and I don’t feel dirty either,” Sakura grumbled, this could all be an elaborate plan for Naruto peek on her, he was probably too stupid to realize how easy it would be to see her naked. 

“Sure, but don’t you girls like to relax in the bath or something. I promise not to peek, honest!” There he went promising again. But he wasn’t wrong a bath did actually sound good. 

Sakura sighed as she felt the bathwater surround her body, it was so nicely warm - scented too - a few candles were lit around the edges to give a soothing light, no doubt extra effort Naruto had put in for her sake. 

It was a fantastic way to get on her good side all things considered. 

“Hey, Sakura?” Naruto’s voice carried through the door as clear as a bell.

Sakura let out a different kind of sigh, this one was harsher than the one that she had let out just moments ago. She supposed that she wouldn’t be able to relax for real until they figured out what was going on. “What is it Naruto?”

“I just wanted to you know, ask you how you’re doing and see if you remember anything more.” She could practically hear him fidgeting, no doubt freaking out that he was talking to a naked girl. 

Sakura brought her knees up to her chest, resting her head on them as she stared in the direction of Naruto’s voice. “I don’t really know, I remember your promise, and I remember you coming back hurt, but beyond that, it gets kind of clouded but the further back I go the clearer the memories are.” 

The only exception was what happened earlier, it was like a chunk of her memory had been put through a cipher. 

“Well, nothing much really happened after that, we went out for ramen, the day before I left, and then uhh… well, nothing much after that happened, you said that you’d get stronger too, then we’d go get Sasuke together.” 

“I’m glad.” Sakura smiled for what felt like the first time. “I suppose if there’s one good thing about all this it’s that I get to make sure you’re not slacking off.” 

“Hey! I trained all day today!” Naruto stood up in his outburst. “I even got all muddy and wet because of it!”

“Oh, and what training was that?” Sakura snorted. “Looked to me like you were just going to goof off in the river.” 

“Hey!” Naruto whined. “I The Pervy-Sage said that I should work on my chakra control, so he had me try to make the Rasengan while standing on the water, it wasn’t easy but eventually I got the hang of it.” 

“Impressive.” Sakura wasn’t entirely certain if it was. “So what kind of training is Jiraiya making you do besides that.” 

“It’s all over the place, sometimes it’s strength training, other times chakra control, most of the time we’re playing chess or something like that. He said he isn’t going to teach me any cool Jutsu, just how to…” She could feel the frown in his voice as he trailed off. 

“How to…” Sakura prompted. 

“I uhh… I want it to be a surprise, yeah!” 

“Uh-huh,” Sakura rolled her eyes and relaxed back into the tub. “It better not be anything perverted.” 

Naruto went silent then and left Sakura to her thoughts. 

She relaxed into the bath feeling far more tired than she had a right to feel. The warm waters calling her to sleep. Her eyes closed. 

XXXX

When she had gotten home, Sakura had thought long and hard about gathering the energy to draw herself a nice warm bath. But when she got home long after the summer sun had set, she didn’t even have the will to shower and simply flopped onto her bed, too tired to even undress. 

She stared at her ceiling for the longest time. 

The latest daydream had left her feeling wonderful like she had actually taken the bath that Naruto had prepared for her. It was a rather sweet gesture, almost sweet enough for her to forgive him for staring at her chest. 

“No sense in getting mad at Naruto for something that didn’t really happen though,” Sakura mumbled to herself, waiting for sleep to claim her so she could do all of this again tomorrow. 

Hopefully with less freaky daydreams.


	2. Chapter 2

Frigid water poured burst onto Sakura’s still sleep ridden form. It shocked her awake faster than any cup of tea. She had abandoned any hope of taking a warm bath while under Tsunade’s tutelage, it grossed her out to no end going to bed dripping with sweat. But her mind and body were often too weak to even consider the extra effort of drawing a bath. 

“A warm bath huh?” Sakura frowned against the water as it splashed down on her face. It was either getting warmer or she was getting used to the temperature. The daydream of Naruto drawing her a bath was still fresh in her mind, she felt refreshed like it had really happened. 

She was clean enough once the water was finally just about to become comfortably warm. She debated spending an extra minute in the shower, just enough to feel the warmth. But her day needed every precious minute she could get. 

Sakura stared at the path towards the Hokage’s tower, the first tendrils light from the risings sun just barely illuminated the stone faces of the Hokage. They would begin work on putting her master’s face up there by the end of the month. 

With a slight stretch, Sakura began her early morning run towards the Hokage’s tower. Tsunade wouldn’t be awake for another few hours, but Shizune would be up soon enough. Besides she had a lot of reading to do. 

Konoha was a vastly different place in the early morning. It was just as lively as it was during the day, but it was a different kind of life, filled with ninja’s of all ranks milling about getting ready for various missions, or starting with their training. 

“Good morning Kakashi’s youthful student!” Might Gai shot past her. On his hands. Backwards. 

“Good morning Sakura! You’re as beautiful as ever!” Lee followed in his beloved sensei’s steps with just as much vigor. 

Sakura could only shake her head as the pair ran down the main street of Konoha, already far out of earshot. She had to admit what those two could do was impressive. Even if their methods were a bit extreme. 

“Guys! Wait up!” Sakura turned to see a sweat soaked Tenten come running up to her side. The poor girl looked ready to collapse at any second. Tenten fell into stride beside Sakura taking deep even breaths. 

It irritated her slightly that Tenten’s resting pace matched her training speed. Still, it was her own fault, she felt every time she put off training with each step. “Decided to join them this morning Tenten?” 

The girl looked at her in disbelief. “I join them every morning! This is just the first time I’ve been able to keep up with them.” 

“I know the feeling.” Sakura muttered in between ragged breaths. Tenten must have heard the bitterness and regret that seeped out with those words, as she stepped away from Sakura. 

“Anyway’s, I better get going or I’ll lose them again, good luck on your training with Tsunade.” Sakura frowned as Tenten sped past her desperate to keep up with her own teammates. 

XXXX

The window was positioned perfectly to catch and disperse the early morning sun so that it’s biting glare was now a comfortable light, ideal for reading. Two tranquil pools of water flanked either side of a massive desk. The walls were lined with book upon book upon book of medical knowledge. 

This was her master’s sanctuary, a place for study and preparation. Only three people had unrestricted access to this room, Tsunade, Shizune and herself. She had three years to read every book in the room. 

She dragged her fingers along the spine of each book until she reached the last book she read. A volume detailing the various poisons found in and around the desert. The next few were likely filled with procedures and cures on the poisons as well as their practical uses in small doses. 

Resolving herself to get at least two books completed by the time she went to find Tsunade for training Sakura went to work. 

She absorbed the information ravenously, for once grateful for her massive forehead and her bookworm nature. “Who knew being a nerd would be useful.” 

The final page turn of the book marked her time to seek her master for more direct training. Her muscles were still sore from yesterday. Actually, she was fairly certain they were still sore from her first training session with Tsunade everything else just added onto it until her every muscle twinged with a dull ache. 

Slapping some resolve into her cheeks Sakura stood up and returned the book to its spot, doing her best not to look at the entire wall, instead she focused on the next book in line. “Remember the goal, but focus on what’s in front of you.”

She opened the door and came face to face with her Master. The closeness was such that Sakura nearly fell over backward to avoid actually hitting her master. Not that Tsunade would have budged at Sakura crashing into her. 

“Ahh there you are Sakura, how goes the reading?” Tsunade’s heels clicked on the stone floor like the thunder of an approaching storm. 

Sakura winced as she prepared herself for the no doubt grueling training Tsunade had in store for her. “Yes, I managed to finish the first volume of the desert poison case studies.” 

“I see,” Tsunade mumbled and walked over grabbing the volume off the shelf. “And what did you think of the case with the Nerium Oleander?” 

“That one confused me, Nerium Oleander causes cardiac arrest true, but it does not cause lung paralysis or motor weakness.” That got Tsunade’s interest. It even brought a smile to her master’s face, unwilling to lose her momentum Sakura continued, grabbing the poisonous plant book. “I think that the report meant to mention Aconitum it’s symptoms include heart and lung paralysis, which could cause a cardiac arrest given certain conditions.” 

She presented the book to Tsunade pointing to the entry on Aconitum. 

“Impressive,” Tsunade smiled and placed the book back into its spot. “But what if I told you that the person writing did indeed think that the poison was from the Nerium Oleander?” 

Sakura frowned and placed a finger to her lip. “Then, they probably got the wrong diagnosis, had they checked if it was Aconitum toxin the patient likely would have survived.” 

A dark gleam appeared in Tsunade's eyes that sent a shiver up Sakura’s spine. “And what if I told you that I was the one to write that report?” 

“Then,” Sakura trailed off. Could she really say that her Master was wrong? That the person that taught her had made such an oversight? No, she could. If she was going to surpass Tsunade then she needed to correct the mistakes her master made. “Then I still believe that you made an incorrect diagnosis.”

Tsunade let out a kind laugh and smiled at Sakura. “Good, you have the backbone, but it’d be pointless for me to teach you if you couldn’t think for yourself.” 

“Why’s that?” 

“Well if you did everything I told you without thinking for yourself you’d be just like me, making my same mistakes.” Tsunade walked to her desk, trailing her hands along its wooden surface. “Good medics do what they’re told and how they’re told. Great ones think for themselves.” 

Sakura felt her cheeks burn at the statement. “So you think I’ll become a great medic then?” 

Her master’s look said all that could be said on the matter. Tsunade reached into her desk and pulled out an inkwell and a brush. “Now then I believe that it is time for you to learn my ultimate Jutsu.” 

“Wait, what?” Sakura ran forward stopping right in front of Tsunade. Her heart was pounding from the praise and now from the revelation that she was going to learn some ultimate technique. “Are you serious? We’ve barely gone over the mystic palm technique.” 

“Oh this isn’t like that,” Tsunade smiled and tapped the end of the brush against the diamond that was in the middle of her head. “Today you’ll be starting a long journey that requires absolute perfect chakra control, the end result will be the Strength of a Hundred Technique.” 

Sakura felt her throat run dry. The seal was the source of Tsunade’s great physical strength. “Okay, what do I have to do?”

“First you hold still.” Tsunade dipped the brush into the ink. 

The ink was colder than she thought it would be as it was placed directly in the center of her forehead. Laced with Tsunade’s chakra the simple stroke formed a perfect diamond. From there she began to draw thick a straight line down Sakura’s cheek. “The three rules that govern medical ninja are.” 

The words hammered into Sakura’s being as though the chakra laced lines of ink where staining her very skin with them. “The First Clause: No medic ninja shall ever stop medical treatment until the lives of their party members have come to an end.” 

She finished the first line just above Sakura’s collar. “The Second Clause: No medic shall ever stand on the front lines ” 

“The third clause,” Tsunade mirrored the first line. “No medic ninja shall ever die until they are the last of their platoon.”

Sakura felt the brush leave her skin and Tsunade’s hand on her shoulder. “The fourth and hidden clause: Only those medic ninja who has mastered the Strength of a Hundred Technique of the ninja art creation rebirth are permitted to discard the above-mentioned laws.” 

A shiver ran down Sakura’s spine. She had heard the first three laws numerous times, they’re repeated on the front page of nearly every medical textbook. They made her question her path; she wanted Naruto and Sakura to stare at her back, not sit on the sidelines waiting for them to get injured. 

But that final clause gave her a new goal. Master the Strength of a Hundred Technique. “Now what?” 

The jutsu to activate the seal was a simple one. Simply a string of three hand signs to direct the flow of chakra. “Now, adjust the levels so that seventy-five percent of your chakra is being pushed into the seal, and hold that directing your chakra as it regenerates into the seal.” 

It sounded simple enough. Moving the chakra was the easy part, but being at one-quarter of her regular reserves was painful. Like she was trying to draw breath through a straw after running ten miles. “How long do I have to do this?” 

“Three years.” Tsunade’s reply was so nonchalant Sakura nearly let her concentration slip. 

“Three years?” 

“Give or take a few days, there’s a reason why Shizune was unable to perform this Jutsu, I suggest you meditate in here until you can maintain that flow without thinking.” 

With that, her master left her. Sakura couldn’t help but let out a whine. How on earth could she be like this for three years? What if something happened and they needed her help, she could barely breathe in this state let alone fight. 

“Remember the goal, but focus on what’s in front of you.” 

At Least she hadn’t had any weird daydreams yet. 

XXXX

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” 

Being forced abruptly into existence against her will Sakura glared at Naruto. The sun was high in the sky and they were in the same spot he had summoned her yesterday. At Least she thought it was yesterday. The last thing she remembered was the bath Naruto had made for her. 

Now the blond was smiling at her like an idiot. 

“What do you want Naruto?” She let the venom drip off of her words so that Naruto could hear them. Being at Naruto’s beck and call was already draining on her soul, and it had only been a single day. 

 

She wasn’t entirely certain if existing was really worth it. 

“Hi, Sakura!” Naruto either didn’t notice the contempt she had for him or simply chose to ignore it. It was probably fifty-fifty. “Jiraiya told me to take a break while he does his research today, so I wanted to know if you wanted to hang out or something.”

It wasn’t like she had a choice. It was either this or not exist until Naruto needed another clone to do something. Sakura looked down at her clothing, she was still wearing Naruto’s outfit. It was loose in places and tight in others. “You have money?” 

“Yea,” Naruto nodded his head eagerly quickly pulling out his frog wallet. It was as plump as she ever saw it. “I made sure to take my whole savings with me on this trip just in case I needed something.” 

Sakura glared at him for a moment. Her eyes drawn to his wallet. “Sure, but you’re going to buy me some real clothes so I’m not wearing yours.” 

Naruto frowned at his wallet before he smiled at Sakura. “Yea, okay!” 

XXXX

Sakura examined herself in the mirror. Nothing about her was different than she remembered, her hair was the same length and her entire body, giant forehead and all was still how her she remembered it, sure her muscles were a bit more defined maybe. But nothing out of the ordinary. 

“Hey, what’s taking so long?” Naruto whined from outside the changing room.

“Hold your horses!” Sakura barked and began to put on the few pieces of clothing that were both cute and in her size, a pair of shorts and a red tank top with flowers on it. It wasn’t shinobi gear by any standard, but it was better than any of Naruto’s clothes. 

To her delight, she actually looked cute in the outfit. Especially with Naruto’s green gemstone necklace around her neck. She had seen the necklace around Naruto’s neck before but had never given them much thought, writing them off as just some cheap jewelry Naruto got to try and look cool. 

But it was actually a lovely gemstone. And it felt important to like the necklace had a history that was great. Almost like she had learned about it as a great treasure or something. She walked out from the changing room still examining the stone. “Hey, Naruto where.” 

She had to stop when Naruto looked at her his mouth slightly opened and a blush was on his cheeks. “Wow! You look great Sakura!”

“Cha! Tell me something I don’t know!” Her bravado suppressed the blush that threatened to worm its way up onto her cheeks. Naruto if nothing else was a boon to her wavering ego. 

“Uhh,” Naruto’s face twisted in confusion as he tried to think about something. “Oh I know, the Rasengan was made by the fourth Hokage!”

“Are you really trying to tell me something I didn’t know?” Naruto nodded his head pleased with his random fact. “And I already knew that.”

She didn’t really. 

“Anyways,” Sakura held up the necklace so that Naruto could see it. “What’s with this? Where’d you get it?” 

Naruto smiled and pulled out his own necklace, the original. “The Old Lady gave this to me.” 

“Master gave this to you?” Sakura asked as she inspected the original in more detail Her’s was nearly identical to Naruto’s in terms of appearance, but Naruto’s had something to, a quality that couldn’t be measured or identified. 

“Master?” Naruto asked. “Who’s your master?” 

Sakura froze. Did she really say, master? It just came out that way. “What? I didn’t say, master, I said Lady Tsunade you’re just hearing things.” 

Naruto frowned at her. 

“Anyways,” Sakura began letting Naruto’s necklace drop, and backed away from Naruto, intent on hiding her blush. “You said Lady Tsunade gave it to you? What for?” 

“Oh, yeah. She gave it to me after I won the bet for learning the final stage of the Rasengan in a week. She said that she only gave it to people she believed would become Hokage one day. So I’m going to keep it on until I become Hokage.” 

Sakura smiled as they exited the store, folding her arms behind her back. “Sure does seem like you have a bunch of people rooting for you to become Hokage.”

“Yea.” Naruto scratched the back of his head. “It feels good.”

Sakura drew herself tall and squared her shoulders. “Well if you want to become Hokage you’re going to have to go through me.” 

It was a joke, of course, there was no way that she would ever become Hokage even if she wanted to. 

“What? You want to become Hokage too?” Naruto stumbled backward and stared at Sakura wide-eyed.

Sakura smiled and shrugged her shoulders. “Well yea, why not you remember what Kakashi said right? With my chakra control, I was the one closest to becoming Hokage.” 

“Hey brat There you are!” Before Naruto could respond Jiraiya came running up to them, a desperate look on his face. “Get your stuff we’re leaving right now!” 

“Huh, Why?” Naruto whined. 

“Don’t ask questions brat.” Jiraiya walked over to Sakura and tapped her forehead. 

The last thing she saw was a horde of love struck old ladies swarming down the street after Jiraiya.

XXXX

She nearly lost control of the chakra flow when the most recent daydream appeared into her mind. But she managed to correct the error with renewed effort. The effect also knocked her out of the deep focus she was feeling for the first time the soreness of sitting on the hard stone all day and the hunger of a missed lunch. 

It felt like her mind was suddenly split into two; the conscious part of her that was aware of everything, and the subconscious part of her that was still directing the flow of chakra. Tentatively Sakura withdrew her control of the chakra, ready to seize control of it the moment it slipped again. 

It didn’t waiver the steady stream flowed in a shallow rut of her mind towards the seal. With a deep breath Sakura stood up, the room was dimly lit now, cast in the shadows of the coming evening. 

“Oh, no did I cause you to lose concentration?” Shizune said as she entered the room, a steaming tray of food made Sakura’s mouth water. She honestly didn’t hear Shizune open the door. “I was just bringing you some food for when you got hungry.”

“No, not at all.” Sakura shook her head. “I think I got it down.” 

A look of disbelief appeared on Shizune’s face before the polite woman managed to press it down with a concerned smile. “Are you certain? Would you like me to check?” 

“Can I eat first?” 

Shizune nodded and sat the tray down on Tsunade’s desk. With her fingers on Sakura’s forehead where the chakra was being gathered and on both of her temples Shizune prodded Sakura’s chakra network. A gasp escaped her. “You actually did it, this you’re amazing Sakura, it took me weeks of trying to get the flow to continue while I walked, and Tsunade said that it took her days, but you only took a few hours. No wonder my lady has high hopes for you.” 

Sakura blushed, partly because of Shizune’s compliment, but mostly because she realized half the plate was already eaten. “What happened to your mark? If that’s okay that is.” 

Shizune sighed. “Don’t worry, I’m not upset about it anymore. I just couldn’t keep it up, even after I got the flow going I without needing to hold its hand the slightest change in my chakra would make it go out of control, I nearly lost my life on the second attempt. Since then I decided that the technique simply wasn’t for me.”

“Oh, I see,” Sakura mumbled into another bite of food. There was no way to respond to that without sounding apathetic. “Thanks for the food by the way.” 

“You’re welcome, us apprentices have to stick together.” Shizune smiled and gave Sakura a tight shoulder hug. “Now, I should get let Tsunade know about your progress, you’re going to have a busy day tomorrow.” 

Sakura groaned. “You mean I have to train like this?” 

“Don’t worry the first day of it is the hardest.” 

Why did she feel like Shizune was lying? “This isn’t going to be some kind of a motivational thing where you’ll say that the second day is the hardest and then the third and the the fourth until it’s day eighty-one and I’m used to it is it?” 

“What? No, that’s… how’d you know?” Shizune failed to conceal her embarrassment behind flailing hands. 

Sakura smiled. “We read the same book, Holes right?” 

Shizune frowned and hung her head in shame in much the same way Naruto did when he realized how stupid he was being. Or one of the few moments he actually felt embarrassed by his own actions. “Yea.” 

“Hey, did Lady Tsunade give Naruto a necklace?” She had been meaning to ask ever since Shizune walked into the room. That daydream felt so real, she knew Naruto had the necklace, but there was no way that her master gave it to him. It was probably just some cheap souvenir. 

“She gave him her grandfather’s necklace,” Shizune said with a small smile. “Partly because he won the bet to complete the Rasengan in a week, but also because she believes he’ll become Hokage someday.” 

Just like in her daydream. Naruto must have told her about it and then she forgot. Yea that was it. “He seems to be getting all kinds of people to believe in him.” 

Shizune nodded in agreement. “What about you? Do you believe in Naruto?”

“Yea,” Sakura said without thinking. “I suppose I do.” 

Still, the idea of her becoming Hokage was freshly tilled into the fertile soil of her mind.


	3. Chapter 3

Training grounds had a serenity about them in the early morning. The rising sun warmed her body, while the chill morning air and damp dew laden grass cooled her off in equal measures. The hot and cold soothed her aching, well everything. 

It had been a week since she had started channeling her chakra, and she still felt like shit. How on earth was she supposed to do anything like this? It was barely fifteen minutes into what Shizune had dubbed a light early morning workout. “Come on Sakura, this is nothing like what Naruto does in the morning.” 

Or at least what she daydreamed he did in the morning. For the past couple days, her day dream had been boring of watching Naruto in the morning, waking up Jiraiya, hearing an excuse or some generic orders, and watching Naruto train some more. It was all rather disappointing. 

And annoying. In her daydreams Naruto would summon her, then she’d have to go hide behind a tree, or if he remembered to summon her next to a building find a safe place to change out of Naruto’s clothing and into her own. 

Sakura ran a tired hand through her sweat soaked hair noting that she was getting close to needing another hair cut. With a groan she pushed herself off the post she had been resting on and resumed her workout. She still had time before Tsunade woke up. 

XXXX

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” 

Sakura glared at the grinning blond that was all too happy to have her around. He was like an overeager puppy that was just happy because he was happy. She refused to let him infect her with his happiness. She was in the middle of an existential crisis! 

“Good morning Sakura,” Naruto said, handing sakura her clothes. 

She acknowledged him with a grunt, her clothes felt softer than before. She eyed Naruto up and down as he just smiled at her. “Did you wash my clothes or something?” 

Naruto nodded, clearly pleased with himself. “Yea, you said they were dirty yesterday so I did laundry.” 

The idea of Naruto handling her clothes every day was still an alien one that didn’t quite sit right with her. Sure it was better than him just leaving the clothes she was wearing on the ground and forcing her to wear his clothes. But this was Naruto. And now he had washed her clothes. Like… like they were lovers or something!

It was just wrong.

“Thanks, I guess, now turn around and close your eyes.” Naruto complied to her demands by covering his eyes with his hands for extra insurance. Sakura sprinted a large tree and glared at Naruto’s back to make certain he wasn’t going to peak. She really should give him more credit, he hadn’t tried anything yet. 

Especially with how delicate her situation was. 

“Okay, Naruto you can turn around now.” She closed the distance between them and gave a helpless shrug. Time for another boring day of watching Naruto train. It wasn’t like she could train as a clone, or do anything remotely productive. “What are you doing today?” 

Why did it sound like she was going to ask him on a date? This was Naruto. Na-ru-to. 

“Ehh,” Naruto shrugged a frown on his face. “The pervy sage wants me to work on Chakra control on my own for a bit. He’ll be here later though.” 

Sakura groaned rubbing the bridge of her nose in frustration. What on earth was Jiraiya doing? How was this going to help Naruto become strong enough to bring Sasuke back? He was just leaving the boy to his own devices, that’s what they did in the academy and that turned out so well for Naruto that he failed all three tests. 

It’d be better off if she trained Naruto herself. At least that way he’d have some guidance. Even if he was technically stronger than her, she could think of some way to make Naruto stronger! “Hey, Naruto.” 

She couldn't believe she was about to do this. What on earth was she doing? Naruto always paid attention to when she explained stuff. Hell, if Iruka had any sense he would have made her tutor Naruto during the Academy. “How about you let me train you?”

“Huh? How can you train me?” Naruto’s confusion stung at her weakness. The fact that she was indeed weaker than him in just about every aspect, and yet she was offering to train him.

Bravado took over. “What you don’t think I’m good enough.?”

“What? No! That’s not what I meant Sakura I”

“Stuff it Naruto,” Sakura growled taking a step back. Her entire body felt restless. Ready to fight and prove herself. Just like when she fought Ino. Sure she might be weak. But she’ll show Naruto just what she can do. “Me and you we’re going to spar. So get ready.” 

“Three.” She dropped into a combat stance.

“Wait!” Naruto shouted desperately trying to take his jacket off before they started. 

“Two.” Her mind cleared, her muscles tensed with a strength that wasn’t there before. 

Naruto dropped into his stance, looking unsure of the situation. 

“One.” A deep breath to calm herself. Naruto’s footwork was sloppy. She had a longer reach than him, he had more strength and endurance, speed was up in the air. A single hit against her would make the end of the spar. 

“Go.” Her plan of attack was ready. 

Charge in, catch Naruto before he was prepared, aim for right leg, knock him off balance. Follow up with open palmed thrust to the chest forcing arms wide. Grab wrist - use momentum - throw Naruto onto the ground.

Avoid counter attack, faster than expected, forced to overcompensate, on defensive now. Dodge right hook, dodge high kick into low kick. Counter with knee to the face. Take advantage while Naruto is stunned. Left hook, unexpected, forgot Naruto’s toughness. 

Solid hit, pain. Nothing. 

XXXX

Sakura placed a hand on her cheek where Naruto had hit her clone in the daydream, feeling tendrils of pain along her jaw. Just as quickly as it appeared the pain vanished, leaving only the soreness of the mornings training. “Even in my dreams, I can’t beat Naruto.”

Every day it was becoming harder to believe that they were just daydreams. They felt… so real, as real as any memory she had. And they were all the same, never repeating day by day. Nothing in the psychology book she glanced at gave any clue into how daydreams differed. 

But they weren’t supposed to be sequenced; not like a coherent retelling of a day.

Besides what kind of backasswards idea was it for her to train Naruto? They were entirely different shinobi. He had a giant chakra reserve and had the subtleness of a typhoon. She had the finesse of a hummingbird and the reserves of one. “How on earth can I train…. Naruto.” 

Realization donned with the sharpness of a freshly peeled scab revealing the fading memory in her mind. Long ago when they were in the wave on their first real mission. Naruto had come to her for help. He had asked her to help him become stronger because she could do something that he could not. 

“What was it that Iruka said about heaven and earth?” That they needed balance to become a strong shinobi. Naruto was earth, she was heaven. They balanced each other out. Together they could become stronger faster than on their own. “Not much point thinking on it. It’s just a stupid little dream after all.” 

She was having such a hard time believing what she was saying. There was something weird going on with Naruto and his Shadow Clones and part of her was stuck in the middle of it. 

“Yo,” Kakashi said nonchalantly as they passed each other on the street. 

Sakura stood, she hadn’t even seen her sensei. And what was with that greeting? She was his student, a member of Team Seven! Of Team Kakashi! And all she got was a Yo! She brushed her anger aside, she was going to be late if she had to deal with her sensei today. Wait, Kakashi knew the Shadow Clone Jutsu. Made, he could dismiss the crackpot theory she was starting to believe. 

“Kakashi-sensei!” Sakura ran after him despite her muscles groaning in protest. 

Her sensei sighed and looked at her with the same thrilling exasperation he did when somebody was going to ask something annoying from him. A look he normally gave to Naruto when her teammate was bugging him for a new Jutsu. “What is it Sakura?” 

“Is there something odd about the Shadow Clone Jutsu?” 

Kakashi blinked at that. No doubt expecting idle chit-chat or perhaps a request that required more energy. “Odd what do you mean odd?” 

Sakura brushed the bit of hair that had fallen out of place behind her ear and shrugged. “Well like, stuff that Naruto doesn’t use them for, they can’t just be for distractions or overwhelming your opponent.” 

“Actually, they take too much chakra to be used the way Naruto does it.” Kakashi mused tapping on his chin. “The shadow clones were originally designed to be used as scouts.” 

“Scouts? But if they got caught all it takes is one hit and all that information is gone.” 

“That’s not true, you see when a clone vanishes the original receives its…. Memories.” Kakashi’s speech slowed down towards the end as though he was just realizing something. “Sakura I do believe you’ve given me an idea.” 

Sakura nodded. If the user received the memories of the clone, then that only added fuel to her theory that her daydreams weren’t daydreams. “Me too Kakashi-sensei, thank you.” 

She spun on her heel and ran towards the Hokage building while her mind raced. If the Original received the memories then it would make sense that she would receive the memories of her own clone. But not how Naruto was summoning a clone of her. 

She was the original, yet he was the replicator. 

“No, it still doesn’t make any sense.” Sakura shook the thought from her head as she ran down the final street to the Hokage’s office. 

XXXX 

“Shadow Clone Jutsu.” 

Naruto stood in front of her holding, his nose as blood leaked from it. A small bit of pride flushed over Sakura at the sight of the injury she inflicted upon Naruto. “Serves you right, I got three hits in before you got one. Now, are you willing to let me train you?”

“I didn’t think you were weak,” Naruto wheezed out trying to hold back the tide of red that was pouring down his face. “I just wanted to know how you were going to.” 

He was cut short as a bubble of blood burst from his nose. 

Sakura rolled her eyes. “Here let me see it.” Without a conscious thought, Sakura took Naruto’s face in her hands and twisted it to get a better look at the damage. Then her hands acted on their own, they moved towards the nose and began to heal him. 

She knew what she was doing. She was healing Naruto’s broken nose. But the how was another story. She never learned how to do this. She had never done this before. For a few speechless moments, she just stared as she corrected Naruto’s nose.

“I didn’t know you could do that.” Naruto rubbed his nose to make sure it was attached properly. 

Sakura stared at her hands in confusion as though they weren’t her own. What on earth was happening to her? Was the real her learning how to do this? Why didn’t she know what was going on? She looked at Naruto and nodded. “I didn’t either.” 

“Well, it's still awesome!” Naruto grabbed her hands and began to shake them up and down, jumping as he did. “You’re just like the old Lady or Shizune!” 

“Let go of me, you dork.” Sakura snapped her hands back from Naruto and glared at him. Somehow this was all his fault. She just knew it. It wasn’t like she was summoning a clone of herself. That’d be a normal thing but, no this was Naruto. Jiraiya was right. Weird stuff just happened around him for no good reason. 

Naruto took a step back and rubbed the back of his head with a wide smile on his face. “Hehe sorry Sakura, I just got excited, I feel like this is a preview of how much more awesome you’re going to be when I get back.” 

Sakura felt her hair stand up when Naruto said those words. Normally compliments from Naruto were cheap and barely worth the time of day. Or did she just never really notice their worth until now. Either way, it was just Naruto. It wasn’t like Sasuke called her pretty or anything. “Whatever idiot, now get into the water while I get dressed I have an idea of how to train you.”

The chill water felt wonderful on her feet, just enough to cool her off from the standard Land of Fire summer heat. It was one of the few moments she had to appreciate just how beautiful her home country was. She’d rarely been outside of it, but there was something wonderful about the green trees climbing up rolling mountains like waves of the earth. 

With a long stretch feeling the warmth of the sun and the coolness of the river Sakura let out a content sigh. And then she looked at Naruto and frowned. He was standing shirtless, staring and smiling at her. 

She wasn’t even wearing a bikini or anything revealing just her normal clothes. “Why are you staring at me?” 

“Cause you’re pretty.” It was almost flattering in a creepy kind of way. 

Sakura shook her and frowned again. “Right well listen up Naruto cause I don’t want to to repeat myself.” 

Naruto slapped his arms down to his sides and stood at full attention. “Yes, Sakura-sensei!” 

“Don’t call me that!” Sakura growled it made her feel old. She was only thirteen dammit, way too young for anybody to be calling her sensei. “Anyways, you know how when you want to walk on the water you have to keep a constant flow going that’s able to keep up with the water moving?” 

Naruto nodded. “Yea, it took me a while before I got the hang of it.” 

“Well, today we’ll be doing the opposite.” Sakura closed her eyes and concentrated on the water. She pulled the water that touched her upwards like a sleeve that went up to her knee, from there she guided it into a small band that swirled half an inch thick around her leg. “Instead of trying to keep the water off of you I want you to try and pull it onto you.” 

Naruto clapped. “Alright, just you want Sakura, I’ll get this down in no time.” 

Sakura reached down and touched the band with her hand. The Water leaped from her leg to her hand. She balled it into a fist and sent it flying towards Naruto. “I wasn’t done explaining!”

The water hit Naruto directly in the face with almost enough force to knock him over. 

“Once you can do it, I want to see how much you can hold on you at once. So go all out!”

“Okay, okay, I’ll do it.” 

For an hour Sakura watched as Naruto struggled to even pull the water up to his body. She knew what he was doing wrong, trying to go one part at a time instead of forming a continuous pull up his body to deliver the water to the spot. 

Pulling another globe of water up around her hand Sakura guided it across her bare arms as she watched Naruto struggle. He was getting frustrated, he pulled too hard and the water shot up around him drenching his clothes. She could just tell him what he was doing wrong.

A smile broke across her face. But where was the fun in that? Naruto was supposed to be good at thinking on his feet, and besides, she was bored. She pulled several globes of water up her body so that she sleeve of liquid along her left arm. Plenty of ammunition. 

She let the first one fly. “Hey, Naruto!” 

He looked up just in time to get hit in the face with a blast of water. “Hey!” Another ball of water to the face. 

She always did have a knack for hitting Naruto. “Come on Naruto, are you just going to stand there in taking it?” 

He glared at her as water poured down his face. Unable to take it anymore a grin broke out on his face. “Alright Sakura, but remember you asked for it.”

Her response was to throw another ball of water at him. 

Naruto charged forward running ontop the water into the deeper portions of the river. He came to a skidding stop along the water’s surface spraying Sakura with water. 

A laugh escaped her as the cool water sprinkled her. “Is that all you got Naruto? Come on put some chakra into it!” She brought her arm down into the water pulling as much as she could onto her arm and then flung it at Naruto. A miniature tidal wave collided with Naruto knocking him under. 

Naruto shot from the water like a dolphin a trail of water following him straight up into the air sticking to his arm. 

Sakura couldn’t help but smile. He figured it out. But then she realized the water was still trailing him. It was a lot of water. A stupid amount of water. Like the river was flowing up with him, a reverse waterfall. “Naruto! Calm down!” 

It was too late. He was already swinging an entire river in her direction. The first few water droplets sprayed down on her. Followed by the impact. She let out an eep. It was a good thing she was a clone and couldn’t actually drown. 

XXXX

“You’re thinking about boss aren’t you!?” Konohamaru all but shouted in her ear, smothering the enjoyment of her last daydream. 

Sakura glared at the boy, he was every bit as annoying as Naruto in a smaller more concentrated package. Tsunade had tasked her with being the school nurse today, apparently, it was within her skill level to treat small things like scrapes and bruises, even sprained ankles. Which was not in short supply at the Academy with the kids being kids. 

Konohamaru seemed to go out of his way making certain she had plenty of work to do. This was his fifth visit to her. He was both her first patient of the day and her last patient of the day. 

“What makes you say that?” Sakura mumbled as she inspected his ankle more closely. She already knew it was a small sprain, nothing a bit of chakra couldn’t fix. But at the same time, prolonging Konohamaru’s suffering might teach the brat a lesson. 

Konohamaru rubbed his nose and gave her a stupid grin. “Well cause he’s your.” He held out his pinkie finger waggling it in front of her face in a suggestive manner. 

“I’m not Naruto’s girlfriend.” Sakura groaned out in frustration, every time she saw Konohamaru or any of his friends it was always the same thing. No matter how clear she made it, they always called her Naruto’s girlfriend. “Why do you keep saying I am?” 

“Cause you make the boss happy.” 

The simplicity and honesty of that statement caught her off guard. For a moment she just stared at the boy who no longer had his cocky smile that was missing a few teeth in it. “What makes you say that?” 

“It’s the way he looks at you.” Konohamaru looked incredibly serious for a nine-year-old. With a small smile he explained, “My dad looks at my mom the same way.” 

The Daydream replayed freshly in her mind drifting to where Naruto was staring at her. She felt her cheeks warm as she remembered Naruto calling her pretty. For a daydream, she sure was able to get Naruto down into it. And Konohamaru was right, Naruto did look at her in; well… in a way. 

“Yea well he bugs me.” She twisted his foot sharply to one-side while channeling chakra into it. There was a loud pop, followed by a yelp of pain from Konohamaru. “There, your ankles better, now leave before I need to heal you again.” 

Konohamaru ran sprinted off the table with a slight limp, the pain would linger for a bit. “Just because you’re flat and ugly doesn’t mean you have to be so mean!” 

Sakura glared at him, watching as he leaped from the window to join his friends down in the courtyard. “You can run brat, but you can’t hide.” 

Sooner or later she would get ahold of that brat and show her just how mean she can be. “Damn brat wouldn’t know a cute girl if one hit him in the face.” She placed a hand on her chest. “Besides, I’m still growing.” 

With a sigh she turned back to the nurse's office, ready to clean up for the day. She paused and examined her glass of water that had been sitting at the desk for a long moment. Curiosity got the better of her. Dipping a single finger into the water she recalled what she had done in her daydream.

The water began to crawl up her skin, it kind of tickled. But more amazing was how simple it was to do. Once they entire glass of water was on her hand she began to play with it, making it cascade down her fingers like a water only to slide back up the back of her hand. 

The basics of making the water stick to her was simple enough, but moving it around was much trickier, shaping it into a ball even more so. In theory, it was an amazing and versatile exercise for chakra control. It just lacked a practical application like tree climbing or water walking did. 

But it was harmless and could even be fun for the younger students. “A perfect chakra exercise for Naruto too.” 

XXXX

“Shadow Clone Jutsu.” 

“Less water next time Naruto.” Sakura smiled as she appeared, examining the mud hole that now resided where she had once stood. Thankfully Naruto remembered to put his shirt on before he summoned her. Or was it created? “Did you find my clothes?” 

Naruto nodded and held up a mud ball that might have once been her clothing. “They’re kind of dirty.” 

Sakura let out a sigh and frowned. “Guess I’ll just have to wear your stuff for a little while.” 

“Oh, it won’t be that long Girly.” Jiraiya’s voice boomed from behind him. The old man had a small frown on his face. “Naruto was supposed to be training, instead I find out that you two have been goofing off.” 

“Like you’re any better Pervy-sage,” Naruto replied quickly. “I bet you were off doing something perverted!”

“Well duh,” Jiraiya said pulling out a notebook and pointing at it. “I was doing my research brat.”

That set something off in Sakura. Naruto’s teacher would rather peak on women, (an unforgivable act in of itself) than train Naruto. She marched forward glaring up at the giant man. “What the hell is wrong with you! You tell Naruto what to do and then just leave him to his own devices! That’s what he went through in the academy!, and he failed three times! Naruto is an Idiot! He needs somebody to help him!” 

Jiraiya returned her glare without backing down an inch. “Naruto, you stay here and get dried off, Girly, come with me.” 

Once they were out of Naruto’s earshot, Jiraiya began. “Look, I know you’re just trying to help your boyfriend.” 

“Not my boyfriend.” 

“But, you’re not helping him the way he needs to be helped.” 

Sakura frowned as she followed behind Jiraiya. “Oh, and how’s that?” 

Jiraiya spun to face her and placed both hands on her shoulders. “Naruto has this amazing ability to think on his feet and come up with weird strategies mid-fight. That’s the skill I’m trying to cultivate here. I’m trying to teach Naruto how to figure things out on his own.” 

“How is that any different than what happened to him at the Academy?” Sakura wasn’t buying it. As far as she was concerned Jiraiya was just being a lazy pervert. Still, the man was a Sanin and he did train the Fourth Hokage. 

“Simple, I’m giving him a direction,” Jiraiya said. “Believe me, I know what I’m doing seems weird. And like it might not be helpful right now. Three years isn’t enough time to properly train him. I’m going to have to set up a foundation that will help him grow and become much stronger otherwise.” 

Sakura frowned it made sense in a way, Kakashi had a similar way of teaching them as a team. But it still didn’t feel right, She gave Naruto a direction while she was there and he figured it out on his own because of her. Just like back in the wave. “With all due respect, Lord-Jiraiya, I’m going to keep helping Naruto.” 

It wasn't like he could punish her, she was a clone after all.


	4. Chapter 4

Where once the idea of knocking on Tsunade’s doors had brought a wave of fear and nervousness onto Sakura that made her palms sweat there was no a reckless courage that allowed her to simply walk right into the Hokage's office. 

It had taken a few months, but now most ninja knew her as Tsunade’s apprentice. While this didn’t bring any respect or admiration, nor any real power, it did allow her freedom to come and go in Tsunade’s office as she pleased. On the rare occasion that Tsunade didn’t want her there a swift look was all it took and Sakura would try again later. 

But this time she found her master in an empty room grumbling over some document. Sakura stepped forward directly in front of Tsunade, after a moment of the woman not noticing Sakura gave a soft cough. “Master?” 

Tsunade waved her hand at Sakura chewing on the end of a pencil. “I know you’re there Sakura, I gave you the day off, so why are you here?” 

She really should be enjoying her day off. They were few and far between. Unfortunately, she had some important matters to attend to regarding her own sanity. “Oh, I was just wondering if you have any way of contacting Lord Jiraiya and Naruto?”

That got Tsunade’s attention. “Why?”

How on earth was she supposed to tell her master that she thought that maybe Naruto was somehow creating a shadow clone of her and she was receiving its memories? The truth brought a blush to her face. She averted her eyes from Tsunade’s to try and hide any tell of a lie. “Well, it’s just that I haven’t talked to Naruto into in a while and…” She trailed off trying to think of what next to say.

Tsunade gave a small gasp that turned into a chuckle. She folded her arms above the now forgotten document. “Oh, my Sakura do you have a crush on Naruto now?” 

“What? No!” Sakura shouted in defiance feeling her cheeks flair at the accusation. Her Master just smiled at her outburst, like the act had basically just screamed that she liked Naruto. With her composure gather, Sakura rolled her shoulders and stood straight. “I don’t like Naruto like that!”

“Uh-huh.” Tsunade leaned back in her chair smiling at Sakura in a knowing way. She crossed her legs below her desk, the work now long forgotten. “Well, then why do you want to talk to Naruto if not to confess to him?”

She leaned forward elbows on the table smiling ear from ear. “Oh, I know! It’s like in one of the romance books where distance makes the heart fonder and the two fall in love through the letters they send each other.”

“I just want to talk to him! He’s my teammate,” Sakura crossed her arms and gave her master a small huff. “Jiraiya’s your teammate, don’t you ever want to talk to him.” 

“I’m used to it.” Tsunade waved her hand at the thought like it was nothing. “But as for your question, I don’t really have a way of getting in contact with Jiraiya aside from sending out ninja to look for him.” 

“But what about if there’s an emergency? Or something happens here and they need to come back? What if Naruto hurts himself?” She was grasping at straws. 

A soft laugh escaped Tsunade, her brown eyes danced with a deep fondness and amusement. “Sakura, if there was an attack on the village Jiraiya, would be the first to know about it, He’s developed a knack of being around where ever trouble starts up. And it’s not like I don’t know what’s going on, I receive an update every few weeks.” 

“And nothing weird has been happening?” She took a step forward placing a hand on her heart. Were there really no mentions of Naruto creating a clone of herself? If there were why hasn’t Tsunade saying anything? 

“Nothing out of the ordinary,” Tsunade said in a calm even voice. She reached into her desk and pulled out a small scroll. “What’s got you so worked up Sakura?” 

Sakura shifted on her feet. Great so there really was nothing, with a sigh she resigned herself to the truth. Or at least part of it. “Well, recently,” Since Naruto left. “I’ve had a few dreams,” Two or three a day. “About Naruto and they have me worried.”

“Aww,” Tsunade smiled placing a hand over her heart in mock passion. “Young love is such a wonderful thing.” She silenced any protest by throwing the scroll at Sakura. “That’s Jiraiya’s last message, look at it if you want. Nothing weird just Naruto’s progress report and a few bits of info he’s gathered.” 

Sakura nodded and… had no idea what the scroll was talking about. It seemed more like a love poem than an actual report. “I think you gave me the wrong scroll this one seems like a love letter or something.”

“Tell me about,” Tsunade slouched into her chair so that the arm rest was up to her elbows. “But no that’s just how Jiraiya encrypts his messages to me, but trust me Sakura there’s nothing weird going on Naruto is making progress. Good progress, in fact, something about trying a new way to teach the brat. But nothing weird that Jiraiya has mentioned.” 

 

Relief washed over Sakura. So apparently there wasn't a clone of her showing up to help Naruto train. And the whole thing was just in her head. So she had nothing to worry about. Aside from the fact that she kept having weird daydreams about Naruto. 

What on earth was wrong with her. 

“Anyways, go rest for the day, tomorrow we’re going to start your real training and you need to be well rested for this.” 

Sakura wanted to cry, real training? What on earth had they been doing up until now? “Yes, master.” 

“Gotta make sure you’re strong enough to keep your new boyfriend in line now don’t we.” 

“He’s not my boyfriend!”

“Yet,” Tsunade corrected with a sly smile on her face. “You have it written all over your face. You can’t get Naruto out of your mind can you?”

All because of her weird ass dreams. 

“What about you. I’ve seen you stare at a photo at Jiraiya when you think nobody's looking.” 

The older woman blushed, her eyes wide; she looked years younger. A soft chuckle sent a chill up Sakura’s spine. “You really should go rest up my dear apprentice. I’ve got quite the day planned for you.” 

Sakura exited the room quickly. 

“So, there was nothing about a clone of me in any of Jiraiya’s progress reports.” Despite the fact that they were encrypted. Sakura stopped just before the stairs, But she didn’t actually know that. She had been given a love poem from Jiraiya that much was true. But why would Naruto’s progress report be encrypted? Sure he was the apprentice of a Sannin, but her own progress had been on display from day one with several of the smaller villages. 

She was known as the Hokage’s, Lady Tsunade’s apprentice by several delegations. So why was Naruto’s progress hidden? Sakura sighed and shook her head. “No, it’s probably just how Jiraiya does things. He is our spymaster.” 

After all, this was Naruto she was talking about. 

XXXX

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” 

 

Naruto smiled at her, dressed in a blue summer Yukata. They were in a clothing that had multiple such items on display on various stands. A confused seamstress stood shocked looking at her and Naruto like they had grown an extra head. 

“What’s up to Naruto?” He was late for summoning her for their training. “And where are we?” 

“Oh, We’re in Koibito City, and there’s this festival going on and the Pervy-sage said to take the day off and to have fun, and I wanted to ask if you wanted to go to the festival with me,” Naruto said breathlessly. 

“Like a date?” Sakura asked raising her eyebrow as a clear danger sign. One that Naruto would no doubt miss. 

Her blond companion's eyes went wide like he hadn’t had the thought crossed mind. He scratched the back of his head nervously. “Are you okay with that? I mean you’re…”

“A clone, not the real Sakura, a fake?” Sakura spat out with frustration that came out of nowhere. Wait, no it came out of her frustration about what the hell she was. 

“I was going to say in love with Sasuke.” 

Oh. Sakura frowned tearing her eyes away from Naruto. She hadn’t really even thought about Sasuke with Naruto constantly being around her and demanding her attention. There were just a few moments when she was alone that her mind would drift to Sasuke. Oddly enough his memory didn’t have the bite it once had. 

She closed her eyes and felt her heart beating. A small comfort that she was alive at least kind of real. Given that her body was so fragile and her existences was linked directly to the whims of Naruto. She needed to take her mind off of this. 

“Okay, sure I’ll go to the festival with you.” Naruto’s face lit up like the sun. “But just as friends. Not as a date or anything.” 

His smile didn’t diminish. He pointed to the seamstress with both hands - who still looked really confused. “Anyways this lady owes Jiraiya some favors or something so she’s going to let us borrow some her her Yukatas for the day!” 

As the woman fitted her for a simple pink and red Yukata that complemented Naruto’s blue Sakura couldn’t help but smile to herself. Tonight was going to be fun.

She spun around for Naruto, his necklace dancing on her neck as a centerpiece for the dress. It had been so long since she had felt this pretty. Not since that day with Sasuke on the bench, her heart pounded at the memory. “Well, what do you think?” 

“It looks great on you Sakura.” Naruto half mumbled staring at all of her. He spoke the words like they were nothing but the simple truth. “I really like your hair to you look great with a ponytail.” 

Sakura brought her hand up to her hair and felt the small ponytail with a smile. She had resolved herself to keep her hair short so that nobody would be able to use it against her. It had been her first step towards taking being a ninja seriously.

“Thanks,” She gave him a practiced smile pushing a bit of hair behind her ear. He squirmed and blushed under her gaze, she had tried the look on Sasuke several times, he never paid attention to it. But to know that it had power over Naruto was a wonderful thing. 

It was then that she realized something was off. “Naruto, are… are you taller than me?” 

They stopped in the middle of the road where Naruto looked at her like a confused puppy. Then his smile grew wider. “Yea, I think I am but just a bit!” 

How had she not noticed it before? Sure she only had an inch on him when she last checked but she should have noticed that he was now ever so slightly taller than her. And he’d only grow more too. “That’s great guess I’ll just have to stop calling you shrimp behind your back.” 

“You did that to my face too.” 

Sakura simply smiled at him. “Don’t look so glum, Shrimp, we have a festival to Explore!” 

It might have been the smells of vendor food, the sound of festivities, or the lights slowly illuminating the city as the sun set on a shining emerald bay, but a rush of joy and excitement rushed over her as she took Naruto’s hand without thinking. 

In a frenzy, they rushed from stall to stall gathering a variety of festival foods and trying out a variety of the games. Everything was going so perfectly. 

“Hey, Naruto, here try this?” Sakura offered him one of the Takoyaki balls. If there was one upside to being a clone. It was that she could literally eat all she wanted and not have to worry about gaining weight or any of that stuff. The food she ate was probably directly turned into chakra. 

Obediently Naruto did as he was told and opened his mouth for Sakura to put the sauce covered ball into his mouth. He chewed slowly making an unusual face as he did. After a painful eternity, he swallowed. “That was great Sakura.” 

“Don’t lie to me Naruto.” She waved another ball in his direction before she plopped it down into her mouth. She munched on it happily “I can tell you didn’t like it, besides that just means there’s more for me.” 

“Hehe, alright then Sakura.” Naruto scratched his head with a smile on his face. “Do you think we can get some ramen then?” 

“If we find a ramen stand sure.” 

“You’re much nicer when you’re eating.” 

Sakura bit down on the tooth pick and glared at Naruto. “Are you saying I’m not nice?” 

“What no, it’s just that.” Naruto took a step back and bumped into somebody. 

It was a girl, perhaps a year or two older than them and well on her way to becoming a woman. An inch taller than Naruto she was by no means tall, but she outclassed Sakura in every aspect. She was prettier than Sakura, her hair was more beautiful than Sakura’s being a darker shade of red, womanly than Sakura. Everything that this woman was Sakura was not. 

“Oh well, hello, what’s a cutie like you doing here?” The overly pretty girl practically draped herself over Naruto by touching his shoulder in a kind way that made Sakura’s skin crawl. Worse still was when the pulled Naruto with her for a moment. 

Sakura bit down on another Takoyaki ball and glared at Naruto. He was smiling at the girl like he wasn’t spending an evening with the girl he had a crush on for years. No, it was totally fine for Naruto to flirt with another girl while she was standing right there. They even shared a meal! And weren’t they going to go get ramen soon? 

“Naruto’s free to do what he wants and can talk to whoever he wants. Not like I’m alone here or anything. I’m sure there’s bound to be a cute guy that’ll flirt with me. And....” She reached for another bite of Takoyaki but found that she had eaten them all. Had she really eaten them all without noticing?

Naruto’s loud laughter echoed through the crowd. She could barely make out what they were saying. Something about pretty, handsome was a word she heard. Oh, and Naruto was blushing! And he was doing that thing where he rubbed the back of his head. 

He was here with her dammit! Not some random flousey he happened to bump into. Sakura tightened her fist crushing the container with a splat. Tossing it into the garbage she marched over to Naruto and that stupid bimbo. She was probably some air headed twat that thought Naruto was an easy mark. 

 

“Hey, Naruto.” She added extra sugar to her voice moving right up beside him and hooking their arms together. Naruto was her teammate dammit. And no redheaded-overdeveloped skank was going to take him away from her. “Who are you talking to.” 

She glared at the other girl the enough vile to start a war. 

The bimbo’s laugh was so sweet Sakura could feel her teeth rotting out. “Well, it appears you have nothing to worry about Cutie.”

 

Naruto laughed nervously when Sakura tightened her grip on his arm. “I umm,” He swallowed hard. “Sakura this is Futaki, she’s the daughter of the Daimyo.” 

Sakura didn’t care, she’d still cut the bitch. 

Futaki sighed, either immune to Sakura’s glare or so air headed that she hadn’t even noticed. “Yes, well I was just about to invite Naruto up to my father’s estate, we have a great view of the bay and the fireworks.” 

The bitch was flirting with Naruto. And the dumbass didn’t even know it. “Sorry, but Naruto already has plans with me.” 

Spinning on her heels Sakura dragged Naruto down the road with their arms still locked like lovers. 

“Sakura?” Naruto stammered out, trying desperately to keep up with Sakura's aggressive pace. Finally, once they were far away from all the lights and lanterns did they stop. “What’s wrong?”

“Nothing,” Sakura said though she knew her tone said that everything was wrong. The more she thought about it the more in frustrated her. And it wasn’t just because of that stupid bimbo. It was It was… she didn’t know what it was and that made her even more frustrated!

“Oh, okay,” Naruto said slowly as he walked up beside her. “Hey, the fireworks should be starting soon. Want to go watch them up there?” 

He pointed towards the top of a hill where a small shrine was located looking over the bay. 

Sakura just shrugged and pointed at the darkening path before them. “Fine.” 

“Are you sure nothing’s wrong?” 

Sakura choose not to answer that question. She didn’t even know what the hell was wrong with her in the first place. Finally, after a long time, Sakura sighed. She was still angry but that didn’t mean she should spoil the night for Naruto. “What were you and Futaki talking about?” 

“Not a lot,” Naruto’s blush could be seen as the last tendrils of the setting sun vanished beyond the horizon. He swallowed as his eyes were unable to meet her. 

“Then what did she mean by ‘You’ll have nothing to worry about.” 

“Oh, umm. Well, when I bumped into her she asked me if I wanted to go out with her, I said that I was here with you, and she started asking questions about us.” 

“Us?” Sakura asked narrowing her eyes at Naruto. A futile effort in the growing darkness.

She saw Naruto nod his head. “Yea.” 

“And what did you say?” 

Now it was Naruto’s turn to be quite as they reached the final stretch towards the top of the hill. 

It didn’t make any sense, why would Naruto refuse a date with a girl that was prettier than her? Not only that she was a Daimyo's daughter that was like a shortcut to having a lavish easy life. Hell, she’d probably accept a date from a Daimyo's son if they were more attractive than Sasuke. 

But, she had a reason to refuse didn’t she? 

“So why didn’t you accept her offer?” Sakura finally asked taking the first step out onto the small shrine. She folded her arms on the railing that overlooked the bay so filled with smaller boats and lanterns it looked like a second sun resided in his depths.“I mean, she’s rich, she’s pretty, she actually likes you.” /

“I was with you.” Naruto joined her on the railing, Far enough apart that another person could comfortably come between them.

“I’m a clone, you can make me leave whenever you want.” 

“Doesn’t matter you’re still Sakura.” 

Sakura let out a laugh, running a hand through her hair. “Why do you like me so much?” 

“Because you’re Sakura.” Naruto turned to look at her, the pale moonlight illuminating his smile. He spoke the words as though they were just a simple truth. Like he was saying that the sky is blue. 

When did they get so close? Was she the one that moved or was he? Did it matter? Their arms were touching now. “But why? I’m mean, I’m rude, I’m not really interested in you, I’m not even that pretty.” 

“Doesn’t matter,” Naruto said happily as he turned to face her more directly. There was a bit of hesitation as he reached out towards her to brush a loose strand of hair behind her ear. “I just like Sakura, because she’s Sakura. And I think you’re really pretty too…” He paused biting his lip, his blush all but glowing in the pale moonlight. “That and….”

The lights below them vanished, and a sharp whistle pierced the silence of the ocean. An explosion of royal purple exploded over the bay turning night time into day time drawing both their attention away from the conversation. 

But not for long, Sakura elbowed Naruto gently. “And?” 

It was rare for her to see Naruto so afraid of something. Sure he had cowered before her when she was angry several times this week alone. But this was a different kind of fear. “That and….”

They were so close that she couldn’t escape it. Naruto leaned forward placing his lips onto her forehead. “Your forehead is so big and beautiful it makes me want to kiss it.” 

What? Sakura started to laugh, it was an uncontrollable laugh that brought tears to her eyes. It was him. That wasn’t just something that sounded like something Naruto would say! It was something that Naruto would say. 

“That was you! Back then on the bench?” She laughed out between fits of giggles, tears, and fireworks. 

“Futaki said I should be more honest with you.” Naruto scratched the back of his head nervously. “But, yea that was me. Sorry for tricking you.”

“No, no.” Sakura laughed out still barely able to contain her giggles. Her tears a mixture of laughing too hard and a million other reasons. It made so much sense now that she thought about it. Sasuke talking to her, leaving, come back from a different direction looking for Naruto. “Just you have to promise me something.”

“What?” 

“When we get back to the village, I want to be there when you tell this to the real me I want to see the look on my face!” She wiped a final tear from her eye as the laughter died, turning back to the impressive display of fireworks. 

She could feel Naruto’s look on her. It made her feel real, like she couldn’t vanish at any moment. “Yes sure.” 

With a soft smile, Sakura closed the distance between them, resting her head on Naruto’s shoulder, eyes still fixed on the on the fireworks and a barrage of pink and orange began to light up the sky. 

“Sakura?” Naruto asked after a moment. 

“Shh, don’t ruin the moment.” 

XXXX

Sakura woke up with a start. Her heart pounding for so many reasons as her mind raced to figure out what the hell just happened. Sweat drenched her body seemed to glisten in the pale moonlight that filtered in through her window, her hair was even more soaked clinging to her head like a wet napkin. 

“No,” She whispered to herself, pushing a hand through her hair, ignoring the slimy texture as she did. It, it actually made sense. Like it made a stupid amount of sense, that rare glimpse of Sasuke that she had held onto as who he truly was, a kind caring individual that looked at her like she was important. Was a lie.

It wasn’t Sasuke that had told her that. It was the stupid boy who she wouldn’t have given the time of day back then. It was Naruto. It was so obvious now. 

There were many theories that claimed that taking one’s mind off of something would allow for a problem to be solved quicker. That had to be it right? Just her mind figuring out something that had apparently been bothering her while she slept. “Yea that’s it.” 

“But still,” Sakura bit her lip and slid out of bed, the bright light from her light flicking on blinded her for a moment. She pulled out an old map and sighed. “Koibito City. Koibito City.” 

Large enough to show up on the map, right in The Land of Rivers where three rivers poured into a large bay. “Okay, so the city exists, but I could have just remembered it from a geology quiz or something.” 

Pulling out a more detailed map Sakura wiped the sleep from her eyes. Her mind was wide awake, but her body was demanding sleep, she’d need it for tomorrow as well. Flipping open the map to Koibito City Sakura’s eyes flew towards the hilltop shrine where she and Naruto viewed the fireworks. 

“That doesn’t mean anything,” It was more a whine than actual words. She stomped her feet pouting at reality. Why couldn’t things just be easy? She read the information blurb about the city “Koibito City, also known as the City of Three Rivers, is known for its large shipping and fishing operations. Every year during the summer solstice they hold a festival…”

Her throat went dry. A glance at her calendar confirmed everything. Turning her lights of Sakura flopped back down onto her bed burying her face into her sweat soaked pillow. 

She let out a long muffled scream. She had to tell somebody about this.


	5. Chapter 5

“Sakura,” Tsunade spoke her name with a slow teasing tone that made Sakura want to grit her teeth. “It’s perfectly normal for a teenager to fantasize about their crush. I’ve done it, Shizune’s done it you don’t need to go to such lengths to justify your crush, even if it is on Naruto.” 

“I don’t have a crush on Naruto.” Sakura clenched her fists and ground her teeth with each word. She should have known Tsunade wouldn’t believe her, hell she barely believed herself. She kept hoping that somewhere along the line she’d find something that didn’t match up and it was just her brain going haywire. 

She had spent a week gathering evidence, making a believable presentation, studying maps and cross checking the locations. Everything should have matched up perfectly. And yet it wasn’t enough. “But why won’t you believe me?” 

“Well,” Shizune began walking over to the map Sakura had painfully tracked Naruto and Jiraiya’s Journey on. “For one, your map is wrong.” 

“Eh?” Sakura ran her finger along the red line connecting all the locations she knew Naruto and Jiraiya had been, they weren’t sporadic points on a map, she used geology, weather, landmarks, every little bit of detail she could gather from her memories were poured onto the map. It made a clear line from Konoha, to the last destination a small town a few days away from Koibito City. 

“Well, Jiraiya’s first report came from this location.” Shizune marked an area on the opposite side of the continent, near the Land of Iron. She placed another mark heading away from the Land of Rivers where Naruto and Jiraiya were. And then another, and another, making a path that ran along the northern side of the continent. “And these were the rest of his reports.” 

“Also,” Tsunade stood reaching for a folder. “If I’m not mistaken, The Land of River’s damiyo is rather young. Ah, yes he’s only twenty four, far too young to have a daughter about your age, says here he isn’t even married.”

“But, but…” sakura could feel her world crumbling; she was so certain about this. To have holes poked into her hours of late night work, that could have been put to actually resting, so easily it made her feel like fainting. 

“Additionally, the clone would have all of your memories as well, not just things like healing.” Tsunade closed the gap between them placing a hand on Sakura’s shoulder while the other grazed her temple. “If it didn’t then that would be a sign of a splintered mind, something very dangerous and easy to detect.” 

Sakura felt the warm glow of Tsunade’s Chakra pass through her head, like a cool summer breeze on a sunny day. Her thoughts became clearer and that small headache she had vanished. 

“And I can tell you your mind isn’t damaged in any way. Hell if it was you’d have problems getting out of bed, let alone doing your training.” Tsunade placed both hands on Sakura’s shoulders now and gave them a gentle squeeze. “But we do need to talk about your Strength of a Hundred Seal.” 

Either through Tsunade’s healing chakra or the serious tone of her master’s voice, Sakura stopped thinking about her clone and Naruto and focused on Tsunade. “What do you mean? Did I mess it up?” 

“No, not quite.” Tsunade brought her finger up to where the diamond would one day appear. “I can feel it through, you’re further along than you should be given your chakra reserves, you haven’t been putting more into it than you should have you?” 

“No,” Sakura shook her head. There was no way she’d be able to live if she poured anymore chakra into it than she already was. “I haven’t changed the amount since I started the stream.” 

A scowl appeared on Tsunade’s face. “Sakura, don’t lie to me.” She wasn’t. “Keeping your reserves any lower than they already are could put your life in danger, you need to be very careful with this technique.” 

“Master, I swear I’m not-”

Tsunade cut her off with a finger. “Today’s training is canceled, I want you to go meditate on your seal to make certain you’re not leaking chakra in, I'll also see about getting Inoichi to inspect your mind to give you.” A small smile grace Tsunade’s lips. “Peace of mind about your Naruto fantasies.” 

Tonton oinked in disapproval. 

XXXX

Chakra had to come from somewhere. 

Sakura stared at the representation of the seal in her mind watching more than feeling her chakra slowly pour into the growing reserve with each passing moment. A pound with no outlet the chakra within the seal felt different than her regular chakra, it was thicker and limited in its use. 

If her natural chakra was pure water, then the chakra within the seal was a rich syrup. She felt as though she could reach out and touch it, this vast reserve of chakra was simply sitting there ready for her to use. But to use it now would risk the entire seal, she needed to wait for the seal to form then it would be stable to draw upon in its entirety. 

A second reserve of chakra, several times greater than her own dedicated to healing and enhancing. 

A chill ran up Sakura’s spine, she couldn’t wait to be able to draw upon the reserve freely and demonstrate the monstrous strength that her Master had. In theory, the technique was simple, provided you had the control and the reserve for it. 

In theory, she’d only need the smallest drop of the chakra to make the earth shatter with a punch. 

Sakura let out a long sigh, it felt as though she was staring at a pond waiting for it to suddenly turn into a lake. She could only feel her own chakra flowing into the seal. 

Then she felt it! Like a wave of water as thin as a pane of glass flowing in from all directions into her seal. The amount shocked her, it was easily as much chakra as her normal reserve capacity. Maybe as much chakra as she would generate in half a day. 

It was like a bowl of water being added to the pond. 

But where did it come from? 

Then it hit her: The Memories.

XXXX

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” 

Something was different this time, the air felt tense. Sakura stared down at Naruto’s open outstretched hand, she could see the air spinning around it as he was preparing to do the Rasengan. 

“You little punk!” A large, round bellied man with arms as thick as tree trunks roared as he charged at them, an oversized axe came charging up from the ground his foot steps shaking the very ground. “You won’t take my Merchandise from me!” 

“Sakura hurry! Rasengan,” Naruto shouted at her shaking his hand at her as he stared at charging man. 

“I don’t know how!” Sakura shouted she gazed over the area trying to make sense of the situation, behind Naruto were cowering children in chains and rags. Their faces dirty, and bruised, they were malnourished. She understood it then, she would have done the same. “I’ll distract him!” 

“I’ll kill you!” The pig-faced man growled at them, bringing the axe of his head. 

She was a shadow clone, if she died, Naruto could just bring her back over and over again. Sakura smiled feeling her anger rise, tapping into a reserve of strength she didn’t know she had. Kicking up the dirt, Sakura charged at the disgusting rapist, slaver, trader, deviant, pedophile, so many labels she could get him. But only one mattered right now. 

Enemy. 

He was slower, nothing but an over sized civilian. But no doubt one hit would be enough to dispel her. He swung the axe down towards her with surprising speed cracking the earth as it missed her by inches. His stomach sounded like a drum as she punched him with a strength she didn’t remember having. 

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” Naruto shouted from behind her summoning another clone -this time one of himself- and began to form the Rasengan. 

“You little bitch!” The monstrous man snorted gripping his stomach. His giant meaty fist swiped towards her, grabbing her by her the scalp. “I’m certain that a pink haired beauty like you would sell just fine.” He licked his lips. “Though, maybe not after I have my fun with you.” 

Sakura thrashed against the man’s grip hitting him again in the stomach hard enough for him to snort. 

His response was to slam her down into the ground. The last thing Sakura saw was Naruto charging to her rescue, the Rasengan in his hand. 

Then nothing.

XXXX

“The extra chakra is coming from my clone,” Sakura sighed as she felt the stress leave her body. Her confession with her master had left her filled with doubts. But that left questions as to why the letters were coming from some place other than where Naruto and Jiraiya were, who Futaki actually was, so many things were still up in the air. 

But the chakra that she received with the memories was all the proof she needed. 

A smile wiggled her way onto her face as she touched the spot where the seal would one day be. With her receiving her clone's chakra, with Naruto creating a clone of her every day sometimes multiple times a day, and each clone giving her nearly a half day's worth of chakra; the three years it was going to take the seal to form would be dropped to less than two. 

“Thank’s for the chakra Naruto,” Sakura whispered to no one, smiling up at the ceiling. She replayed the fight in her head learning from her clones mistakes. This was not the first fight Naruto had summoned her in expecting her to help him perform the Rasengan. And it probably wouldn’t be the last. 

He had a knack for falling into all kinds of trouble, a few days ago they ran into a cart that was falling off a cliff, before that it was a bear, and before that it was bandits. And now added to the list was a child slaver. 

It was one of his more admirable qualities, strengthened by his kindness and willingness to go the extra mile. It was like the idiot was on a one-man crusade to change the world. 

Especially towards her even when dealing with her clone he went out of his way to make her smile. He was such a sweetheart, she knew he liked her, but why did he like her? Her own memory of Sasuke approaching her on the bench played in her mind, it was so obvious that it was naruto now that she knew it was him. 

He thought her forehead was beautiful and- “Holy crap I’m crushing on Naruto.” 

Shaking her head clear of Naruto, she still had to find some way of explaining where the extra chakra is coming from, it alone probably wouldn’t convince Tsunade that she was receiving memories of a clone Naruto was making. She needed something concrete, something only Jiraiya or Naruto would know, but she needed to find some way of getting her clone to do what she wanted. 

“It does share something with me, like my healing Jutsu, maybe if I concentrate on her asking questions before Naruto summons her again she’ll have the urge to ask a question?” Sakura muttered to herself staring at the heavy door that Tsunade had locked, then at the medical books, she still had so many left to read. 

As she read page after page, Sakura kept thinking about important questions to ask Naruto. 

XXXX

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” 

Sakura blinked into the warm summer day as she appeared in the same forested area where she had fought the large man, he was still there in a way, just through a couple trees and mildly cationic at the moment. 

The Rasengan was certainly a powerful technique. 

“Hey, Sakura,” Naruto spoke up to her left where the same group of children - and then some were nervously looking around and at the unconscious man ever so often. “Do you think you can give these guys a look over to make sure they’re okay?”

Sakura frowned. “What makes you think I can do that?” 

“You’ve healed me a bunch of times.” 

“Yea but I still don’t know how I do that! I just do it!” She folded her arms and huffed, her eyes caught a few glimpses of children, though she couldn’t call a few of them that as they were older than her. She sighed and dropped her arms. 

Most of them were just malnourished, a few had a scrape or two, or bruises around the wrist from ropes or chains. All of them were stolen by the Pig-Faced-Man as payment for their families debts, which were earned from failing to pay protection money to him. 

By the end of the day, the children were returned to the families, and the bastard was dealt with by Jiraiya. He said that the toad would deliver him to a prison, but Sakura wasn’t so sure that’s what happened when a toad -she learned the difference between frogs and toads- ate somebody whole. 

Which left her and Naruto staring at another sunset feeling like they actually did something today. 

“Hey, Naruto?” Sakura asked without thinking as she watched the blue Ocean slowly turn to a brilliant orange as the sun set. The Orange sky was filled with beautiful pink clouds stretched thin over the horizon. 

“Yea?” She could feel him looking at her, like standing with her back to a campfire. The night of the fireworks was still fresh in her mind, Naruto’s truth, her… jealousy of that red-haired-skank, and the ending where she rested her head on Naruto’s shoulders. 

“Why do you like me?” the words slipped out of her mouth on their own conviction. That wasn’t what she intended to ask, but it was what she wanted to ask. Biting her lip she turned to face Naruto, her cheeks heating up for so many reasons. “And I mean, why do you like the real me?” 

Naruto frowned, “You are the real Sakura though.” 

“No, I’m not.” Sakura barked feeling the tears well up in her eyes. “I’m just a clone, I don’t really exist, and the real Sakura is back in Konoha completely unaware of anything of this.” 

“Yea but you’re here now, and clone or not you’re still Sakura so you’re still important to me.” He placed a hand on her arm and a smile on her face. 

“But why? Why am I so important to you? You risked your life to bring back Sasuke for me, you fought so hard against Gaara for me. Why what did I do to make you like me so much?” It didn’t make any sense for him to like her, she was rude to him, she hit him, she berated him, at best all she gave him the time of day. So why did Naruto go so far for her?

“Well, why do you like Sasuke?” Naruto laid on his back, staring up at the sky as the last rays of the sun began to dim, revealing the cold night sky. 

She liked Sasuke because he was, cool, handsome mysterious, a good ninja, and he said her fore head was… no, wait that one was Naruto. There was something else wasn’t there, there had to be something more. Something like in all those love stories where the boy and the girl fall in love. She wasn’t that shallow…. Right? “I just do.” 

“Same here, for you that is, not the Bastard, he’s just my brother or something.” Stammered out. “But I think I know one of the reasons, We’re a lot a like.”

Sakura gave a snort and flopped down onto her back beside Naruto, glaring at his face as he stared up at the stars. “And how are we alike?”

“We both want other people to acknowledge us.” Naruto turned to her, his smile somehow shining in the growing darkness that was covering them like a thick fog. 

“I…” It sounded like it could be true. “But, is that it? You like me because we're kind of alike in one way.” 

“You’re also super pretty, and you were nice enough to give me your lunch during Kakashi's test, and I also kind of like it when you’re bossy.” Naruto blurted out all at once. 

Sakura barely caught the final thing he said. “When I’m bossy?” 

Another nervous laugh. “Well like, I don’t know it makes me feel important I guess?” 

“Huh,” Sakura tore her eyes from Naruto and stare up at the sky, watching the stars appear one by one. A small idea blossomed in her mind, that grew into a smile. “Alright, Naruto let’s make a deal.”

“Uhh okay?” Naruto stood up, offering a hand to Sakura to help her up as well. 

Laughing as Naruto stood her up Sakura stared at him, the difference in height was small, but still growing. A tall muscly Naruto appeared in her mind, smiling down at her as they tumbled in the sand water lapping at their feet. He leaned down and…

Sakura shook her head and tried to picture the same scene with Sasuke, Sasuke was still tall and lean. But they remained under an umbrella staring at the ocean, no movement, no passion, no desire. He was simply there because he had to be. 

Naruto would be there because he wanted to be. 

“Yea,” Sakura nodded, mostly to herself, she tapped Naruto in the chest. “Listen here, I’ve decided I’m going to help you get the real me to fall in love with you?”

“Really?” She nodded at Naruto’s excited outburst. He grabbed her under her arms and her around laughing with each spin. “That’s awesome Sakura, thanks!”

“In exchange, you need to teach me the Rasengan.” 

Naruto stopped and placed her down again. “Okay, but why?” 

“Because you keep summoning me to help you do it, might as well skip the step of having to summon another clone.” Plus, she needed an ace up her sleeve, something that was actually powerful enough to knock a foe back. As it stood she could only distract a foe while Naruto got ready. 

“Oh, that makes sense.” Naruto scratched the back of his head smiling at her. “So, when do you want to start?”

“We’ll do the training tomorrow, tonight we’re going to try and make you a bit more romantic.” Sakura took a step back, her mouth forming a hard line. “Okay, I want you to do the most romantic thing you can think of right now to me.” 

Naruto looked confused and more than a little nervous. “I umm, what do you mean?” 

“Do something you’ve always wanted to do. I’m ready.” She could feel her face burning in the cool night air, the only thing warmer was Naruto’s gaze upon her. Especially when he resolved himself and took a step towards her. Her legs were shaking, palms sweaty, throat dry, lips chapped. 

“You are the prettiest girl I know,” Naruto muttered at the start but gained confidence towards the end. “You’re also the smartest, nicest, person I know.” 

He leaned in his lips pursing slightly. Oh god was he was going to kiss her? She wasn’t ready for this! She didn’t expect Naruto to be so bold as to take the opportunity to kiss her. Wait why was she leaning in too? Why were her lips pursing, oh god they were going to kiss. 

She closed her eyes waiting for Naruto’s kiss. She felt it not on her lips, but on her forehead. 

“Well, how’d I do?” Naruto asked taking two steps back rubbing the back of his head, his eyes were fixed on the ocean. 

Sakura’s hand flew to where his lips had just been. Her heart was going crazy. “Yea, no that’s” She swallowed to keep her heart from jumping out of her throat. Naruto didn’t need her help when it came to being sweet and romantic. She just needed the patience to see it. “That’s pretty much perfect.” 

“I just said what I always wanted to say.” If he had said something like that to her - forehead kiss or no- she probably would have taken his attempts to ask her out seriously. 

“Yea, well…I’m a bit tired, so I’m going to go to… well, I’ll just see you tomorrow.” The last thing she saw was Naruto’s smile as she vanished. 

XXXX

“Holy fuck!” Sakura dropped the book she was wearing as the memories and the emotions came flooding into her. Her heart went from zero to one-hundred in the blink of an eye and her face immediately became flush. 

She could practically feel the spot on her forehead where Naruto had kissed her glowing with the warmth of a bonfire. Her clone was going too far, this was crazy, now it was making deals about getting Naruto to fall in love with her. And running wild with her emotions as well. “I can’t believe it, I’m falling for Naruto.” 

That was the first time a boy had kissed her… well technically it was her, it was her clone. “Crap now I’m jealous of my own clone.”

Sakura sat back and looked through the small window, the star filled night sky calling to her. Her clone did do what she wanted in a way, she had wanted to find a secret from Naruto, but she wanted to know what he thought about her more. “Still, the Rasengan might just be the proof I need.”


	6. Chapter 6

The office had the chill air of a room that hadn’t been used in quite some time. Even with the light on the room had a dimness that made it difficult to notice the uncleaned corners of the room. Sakura had been in this room a few times before, mostly as a curious young girl following a giggling Ino to explore her father’s ninja stuff. 

The mystery of the room had long since vanished from her and now it was simply Inoichi’s office, filled with various books and mementos from previous missions. Several photographs of previous Ino-Shika-Cho teams hung on the wall in a series, Ino’s own team was up there as well, looking none too pleased with her team. 

“It’s good that you’ve been here before.” Inoichi gave her the same kind smile he had always given her. “Being comfortable in the environment will make the mind less hostile.” 

She this was a comfortable environment? She felt like she got sent to the principal's office at the Academy for something that she didn’t do. “Are minds normally hostile?”

“Well no,” Inoichi scratched the side of his cheek. “However Ino told me about your fight during the Chuunin Exams. She uhh said that your mind was… well… let’s just say you have a powerful will, so I want to make this as easy as possible.” 

Sakura frowned and glared at Ino’s photo on the wall. That damn pig probably said that because her forehead was so big there was too much mind to take over or something. “Where is Ino by the way? I haven’t seen her in a while.” 

Not since she pulled that little prank on her and Naruto’s not-really-a-date date. Wait a second, Ino swapped her and Naruto’s minds it was only for a few minutes but was Ino’s small prank really the source of everything? Was it possible for a part of her to be left in Naruto’s mind? What about Naruto did he leave any part of him within her? Was that even possible? 

“Because Shikamaru made chunin, their team has been sent on more missions than the rest of your class, longer ones to.” He picked up a photo from his desk and smiled at it then towards Sakura, he turned it around to show it was an old photo of her and Ino playing at the park. “She complains about it a lot but says she has to keep going, especially because of you.” 

“Me?” Sakura shook her head free from the thoughts as she stared at the photo. 

“Ino says that with you getting stronger and working so hard with Tsunade she needs to give it her all, she doesn’t want to lose to you again.” 

Sakura snorted. “Yea well I’m not going to lose to her, and it’s not going to be a draw next time.” 

Inoichi gave a laugh as he returned the photo to its rightful place. “Anyways let's get to work alright.” 

With a quick nod, Inoichi went to work. Sakura was eager to find out if there was anything wrong with her mind, or perhaps if she could show Inoichi some of the memories, that might be enough to convince Tsunade. 

Sakura gave a soft gasp as Inoichi placed his thumbs to her temples, his pointer fingers hooking behind her ears, and pinkies to her chin immediately she felt his chakra invade her mind, it wasn’t like Tsunade’s where she felt warm and inviting, rather Inochi was cold and penetrating. The healer's salve to the tortures needle. 

“Hmm, well your mind appears to be in one piece, with no signs splintering or fracturing from genjutsu or stress if anything I’d say your mind is one of the stronger more put together ones.” 

The praise was unexpected, but Sakura’s blush died when she heard the underlying tone in Inoichi’s voice. A sense of worry and concern. “But?” Sakura prompted Inoichi to continue. 

She heard him swallow as a deep frown appeared on his face, highlighting the wrinkles growing on his face. “It feels like there should be something more there. Ino mentioned that you had some kind of mental guardian or something that assaulted her when she entered your mind.” 

“But it’s not there?” mental guardian? What on earth was that? How did she even have one?

“No,” he gave her a small nod. “But there’s a space where it should have been, but, a yes, I believe I know what it was.”

This was still the first she heard of it. How come nobody else told her that she had something else inside of her head? Wait… was that why her forehead was so huge!? “What is it?”

“Well, how do I explain this?” Inoichi paused for a moment. “Ahh, when you were younger you were quite right? Constantly worrying about how others thought about your so kept your real emotions bottled up so that others wouldn’t judge you for them.” 

The painful accuracy of Inoichi observation struck Sakura’s nerve. “I’m not like that anymore.” 

“Exactly, this mental guardian was likely the manifestation of your inner thoughts you kept bottled up.” That made a lot of sense, she used often think one thing but say something else entirely. “It’s likely to have been absorbed into the rest of your mind now that it’s not needed, still it’s unusual for such a thing to vanish completely in such a short time.”

Inoichi paused. “But then again you have been through a lot recently…” 

“Umm, stupid question,” Sakura asked feeling desperate to switch the subject. “But would it that piece of my mind to be left behind?” 

There was a pause. “What do you mean?” 

“Well, a while ago Ino pulled a prank on me and Naruto by having us switch bodies.” She could feel Inoichi tense as she spoke the truth. “And ever since then, I’ve been getting memories of Naruto making a clone about me.” 

“So you’re saying Ino used her clan’s technique to pull a prank on you?” Was that all he got out of this? His jaw clenched before he let out a long sigh. “I’ll deal with my daughter later, but I’m skeptical to believe that something like that can happen. The mind is a whole, it can be broken and damaged but part of it can’t simply be left behind like that.” 

“But my memories!” Sakura shouted pulling away from him. “I get them every day, if I can just show them to you I know that you’ll understand and believe me! Please, I need you to realize they’re not just day dreams. ” 

Inoichi sighed, running a hand through his long hair. “It’s not that simple, the clarity that I can view memories is limited to how well I can view my own memories, normally this isn’t a problem as Yamanaka have a brilliant mind for it, or we’re dealing with any enemy where we can be a little less careful.” 

“So what are you saying?” Sakura asked in desperate need for a pillow to scream into and something to punch. 

“I can still look at your memories if that’s what you want. But you’re a smart girl, I’ve seen you read a book faster than most adults and retain more information from reading a single page than I could from an entire chapter.” Inoichi deflated slightly. “You’d be an ideal target if you were an enemy, but I don’t have any gentle techniques for determining if something is real or not, especially when dealing with a memory like yours.” 

There was a forehead joke in there somewhere she just knew it. 

Seriously it was like every adult was going out of their way to blow off her problem like it was absolutely nothing. “Just forget it, I’ll figure out some way to prove it to Tsunade.” 

“Sakura, while I can’t lie to the Hokage, you’re not one to lie about something like this, so for what it’s worth I do believe you, but what my techniques can do in this situation is limited.” 

Sakura sighed and pushed her anger into the back of her mind to be used later. “Thank you for your help Inoichi, I think I have an idea of what’s going on now, and when you see Ino tell her I want a rematch.” 

XXXX

Sakura glared at the rubber ball in her hand, the first step of the Rasengan was deceptively easy all she had to do was spin the chakra around in several directions until it popped, and that was the correct way, not the cheat way where she made the water into a sharp needle popping the balloon. 

But the second step was the hard part. The power she needed to pump enough chakra into the rubber ball to cause it to burst, not just tear and let the air out. With her smaller chakra reserves, she could only do a few attempts before she had to rest. 

“Raagh!” She snarled out in frustration, pumping as much chakra as she could into the ball while trying to spin it. She clutched it with her other hand forcing in chakra from both directions. The rubber ball remained steady for just a moment nothing. 

“You were close that time Sakura!” Naruto replied helpfully from his own training. His own shirtless workout training that left his body glistening with sweat. His lean ninja muscles flexing with every motion, worse still was the way he smiled at her like he didn’t know he was the biggest distraction in the world. “Just a few more times and you’ll have it down!” 

Over the past month of training and spending every single day with Naruto, Sakura was fully aware of the fact that she was crushing on Naruto hard. Hard like his chest muscles, the boy had definition. 

In half a year Naruto had gone from barely a blip on her radar to sitting in the captain's chair of her desires drinking wine and using Sasuke as a footstool. She wasn’t certain what changed, what she wanted or what Naruto offered. Perhaps both. She had to keep reminding herself, that this was Naruto, that he was real and that she was a clone and she was trying to help him to get the real her to fall in love with him. 

But it was becoming increasingly difficult to not just take him for herself. The real Sakura wasn’t here, she was probably in Konoha, still dreaming about Sasuke. While she was here with Naruto and more than willing to go on a few dates with him. 

And the real Sakura wouldn’t ever know about it. 

Sakura swallowed and tore her eyes from Naruto’s succulent neck muscles, banking on Naruto not seeing her blush or thinking it was from training. “Why do I have to do this part? I’m just learning it to help you form the Rasengan.” 

“Because you can’t skip a step with a technique like this Pinkie,” Jiraiya said from his perch, actually watching them train for once. It was becoming more frequent for him to point them in a direction or offer a few tips to help their training along. Jiraiya was the river Naruto’s training followed, while Sakura was the rudder of his boat guiding him through the waters. 

She still thought he could do more. 

“Naruto can do the first step just fine on his own, he needs a clone for the third step, so you need to get to the third step to be able to help him.” Jiraiya smiled as he flipped another page of his note pad, and began to scribble something down onto the blank page. 

“I can try and help you Sakura,” Naruto said from right in front of her causing her to jump slightly. She had been so focused on trying her hardest not to fawn over his shirtlessness that he had snuck up on her. “Unless you want to call it for today?” 

“I uhhh no!” Sakura shouted as she held pressed the ball into Naruto’s chest to try and stop him from getting any closer. She’d called him a pervert forever, and yet now here she was ogling him with her mind so far in the gutter that people would think she was Jiraiya's apprentice. “I think I can do one more try.” 

Naruto nodded and stepped around behind her, grabbing her arms and guiding them into position. “I started by squeezing the ball tight at first and imagine that’s my chakra that I’m squeezing tighter and tighter.” 

His breath was on her ear sending a fridge went chill down her spine, stirring a tornado of butterflies in her stomach. She wasn’t even thinking about chakra at the moment. All that she was doing was trying desperately to, to, to, she didn’t know what she was doing!

To hell with the real Sakura, Naruto was hers. 

“Yea just like that.” 

Wait she was doing something? Sakura’s eyes flickered to the ball just in time to see it bulge and then burst with enough force to knock her further into Naruto and then keep going backward. 

Apparently being perverted made gave her more chakra. Or something like that. A familiar nothingness washed over her as she felt herself vanish. 

XXXX

“That bitch!” Sakura swore the second the memories hit her. Her clone, a part of herself was plotting to take Naruto all for herself! Oh sure, she’d probably do the same thing if Ino was interested in Naruto. But no this was herself! She was literally planning on stabbing herself in the back! 

“Excuse me?” Tenten asked with a small frown, spinning her bo staff as she walked onto the matted floor of the dojo with an extra bounce in her step. 

“Oh, uhh I just remembered something that Ino did is all!” Technically not a lie, this whole thing was Ino’s fault. Sakura gave Tenten a small bow and smiled, “Thanks again for agreeing to do this.” 

Tenten gave a small laugh, her bo-staff perched on her shoulders to make a shelf for her hands to rest. “No problem, I’m always down for a spar, I’m just surprised you asked me for this.” 

“Well, you’re a better fighter than me.” Sakura gave her body a long stretch that did nothing to release the pent up frustration from Inoichi’s failure today, and now the swelling rage of her own clone trying to steal her crush away from her. “Besides, I need to go against somebody that won’t cry when I hit them.” 

“Well, you are Tsunade’s apprentice.” Tenten let the bo staff slide from her shoulders so that she could rest her head on it. “Even I admit I’d be afraid of a full powered punch from somebody called her apprentice.”

That would explain why everybody else she asked had refused. If she had managed to find Ino she would have dragged the girl here by her hair to beat the tar out of her. “Yea well, I don’t quite have her strength yet.” 

“Hehe, that’s good to hear, anyway,” Tenten kicked her staff making it roll around her neck and back into her hands for a fighting stance. “I’m ready when you are.” 

“Three,” Sakura began. 

“Two,” Tenten sat the pace. 

“One!” They shouted at once their bare feet bouncing off of the soft mats of the dojo floor. 

The bo-staff would give Tenten extra speed, power, and reach, while still maintaining a close guard. In a non-ninjutsu environment, it was simply better than fists. But Sakura didn’t know how to use one properly. And she really wanted to punch something. 

XXXX

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” 

She was grabbing onto Naruto before she was fully aware of her own existence. She was squeezing both of his bare shoulders hardly able to contain her excitement. “I did it right? That was it! The Rasengan?” 

Naruto said nothing, his eyes wide with surprise as they shot down to her chest. He pulled his head away as a blush exploded on his face, but his eyes struggled back to her chest. 

It happened in a heartbeat. Naruto was shirtless, he had summoned her, she appeared in what ever he was wearing. She was shirtless. And Naruto had seen her topless. Sakura gave a cry and in one fluid motion slapped Naruto hard enough to send him tumbling away from her, while she crouched down trying to hide everything with her knees and arms. “Pervert!”

“I’m sorry Sakura! I forgot! I didn’t mean to! I’m sorry! Gah!” Naruto scrambled about like a chicken with his head cut off. 

Sakura’s entire body blushed. Naruto had seen her topless the first boy to do so! It wasn’t even the right time for it! What did he think about them? They were small, didn’t Naruto like big ones? Was he going to stop liking her now that he’s seen her chest? She wished she could disappear. 

Wait she was a clone she could just disappear!

“Here!” Naruto’s voice startled her as she was just about to vanish, she felt Naruto’s jacket fall across her shoulders. Had it always been so warm and comforting? It was somehow different from when she was summoned wearing his jacket. This felt safer… more intimate, like Naruto was hugging her. 

With her face still, red Sakura put Naruto’s jacket on zipping it up tight. From her crouched position she glared up at naruto her knees still pressed to her bare chest inside of Naruto’s jacket. The edges of her vision were blurred with tears. “They’re still growing okay?” 

“Huh?” 

“So forget you saw them okay?” Sakura looked away from him, staring at the ground The inside of Naruto’s jacket was rough and warm, just like him. It was like putting on a pair of thick socks fresh from the dryer on a cold day. “They’re not that great right now.” 

“I umm,” Naruto stammed out. She returned her glare to him with all the ferocity of a wet kitten. He swallowed his blush unrelenting across his face. “Well, I umm… I liked them?” 

It baffled her how he was able to stare directly at her and say that he liked her under developed breasts. It was almost enough to make her laugh. Of course, naruto would say something that was both stupid and romantic. She shook her head and looked away from him. “Pervert.” 

A small smile graced her lips as Naruto began to grovel for the forgiveness he already had. Didn’t mean she couldn’t torture him with it a little bit. 

“I’m sorry Sakura!” Naruto got on his knees behind her and pressed his hands and forehead to the ground. “I wasn’t thinking, I was just so happy that you got past the second step! So please don’t be mad, I’ll make it up to you.” 

“And how will you do that?” Sakura forced her smile into a frown as she turned to look at Naruto blinking a few tears into existence. It may be manipulation, but it was the right kind of manipulation that was good for everybody. 

Naruto sat back on his legs and scratched the back of his head. “I don’t know but just don’t be sad for now Sakura just let me…”

“How about,” Her frown melted into a warm smile. This was it, this was her chance to take Naruto away from her Sasuke loving real self in Konoha. “The next time we’re in a big city or some place fun, you take me out on a real date.”

Naruto’s eyes went wide before he nodded vigorously. “Okay!” 

XXXX

 

Sakura glared off into the horizon, in the general direction she thought that her back-stabbing-traitorous-crush-stealing-bitch of a clone was hiding. Oh, when Naruto got back she was going to have a nice long talk with her clone. “I can’t believe I’m so mad at myself!”

Pulling her hairs Sakura rolled back onto the soft grass of her training field. This was giving her a massive headache. Her clone acted like she was someone else completely different from her, but Sakura got all of the clone's memories so she was basically her clone but her clone wasn’t her even though it was her. “Dammit, Naruto! Why do you have to be so weird!”

“Wow, Forehead fantasizing about Naruto now are you?” A voice Sakura knew all too well called from behind her. Sakura leaned back to make certain that her target was here. Standing on the on the field with a smug smirk on her face was Ino. “My dad said you wanted to spar me, so what do you….” 

Sakura spun onto all fours and glared at Ino. “You.” Sakura launched at Ino, going from crouching to full sprint so fast she skipped the steps in between. All of the anger she had against her clone was now directed to the person that caused this whole mess.

Ino screamed and immediately started to run away, survival instincts kicking in. “What’s wrong with you Sakura!” 

“You!” Sakura frothed. Part of her was enjoyed playing the part of the wild beast. Ino ran around a large boulder. Sakura took the short cut, with a clenched fist she didn’t even think about it and summoned the smallest drop from her hundred Strength seal. The boulder turned to rubble. “What did you do!”

“I don’t know!” Ino shouted as she pressed her body against a large tree like it would save her. “Just talk to me!”

Sakura walked up to Ino and grabbed her friend by the collar of her shirt. “When you switched mine and Naruto’s bodies did you leave something behind?” 

“I don’t know, I just did the jutsu, and then reversed it. It was just a prank!” Ino whined as she flinched under Sakura’s fist. “Did something happen?”

Sakura narrowed her eyes at Ino dropping her onto her butt. “Ever since you did that prank when Naruto uses his Shadow Clone, he creates a clone of me, and I get the memories of my clone running around out there having fun with Naruto!” 

“Why do you sound jealous?” 

“Really Ino? That’s what you take away from that?” Sakura flopped her arms and huffed, she turned away from Ino to hide her blush. "Because of my clone I have a crush on Naruto, and now that clone is trying to steal Naruto from me before he gets back to the village." 

"Wow," The blond just smiled. “Uhh, my fault I guess?”


	7. Chapter 7

“So are you mad at me or your clone?” Ino asked she stood just outside of swinging range. Which was smart, as she was still on the top of Sakura’s punch list. 

“Yes,” Sakura said in the most neutral tone she could muster, which was one step above total bitch. 

Ino took a step back positioning her father to act as a barrier for when Sakura inevitably exploded. “To which one?” 

“Both,” her resting bitch voice was acting up. With a sigh, Sakura let go of the fists she wasn’t even aware that she was having. She should be happy, today was the day that she was going to prove to Tsunade that she wasn’t insane, and hopefully get to the bottom of this. “They’re going on a date tonight.” 

“Your clone is?” Inoichi asked, looking equally troubled and amused by the whole situation. Sakura had begged him to come with her to inform Tsunade about the part of her mind that was apparently missing. He agreed so long as Sakura stopped sending Ino home half covered in bruises - it wasn’t her fault that Ino bruised like a banana. 

Sakura nodded. “Yep, the bitch is trying to steal him from me.” When on earth did she become so possessive of Naruto? 

“But she’s you?” They passed effortlessly into the upper reaches of the Hokage’s tower, the office but a few feet away. 

“She might be part of what makes me, me, and we might have an identical past,” Sakura paused as they arrived right before the Hokage’s office. Once again feeling the fear of being a fresh faced ninja that did not belong in the Hokage’s office. “But, she is not me, she doesn’t know about me being trained by Tsunade, or that I’m even receiving her memories if she did she would have sent a letter or something.”

“I see,” Inoichi half muttered, either immune or unaware of Sakura’s terrible mood. He was Ino’s father after all. “I see why you’re so hellbent on this then, I’ll support you, however, I can.”

Inoichi was getting a cup that said ‘best dad’ on it this year. She still had yet to tell either of her parents anything about it -she’d rather not die of embarrassment before Naruto came back. Her father would just laugh and make jokes about it, and her mother would constantly ask how things were going and just… She wasn’t ready for her parents to know anything about that. 

Her mother was also a bigger gossip than Ino and half the town would know that she had a crush on Naruto. 

With a sigh, Sakura pushed the door the office open. Her anger must have leaked into her muscles as she slammed the door open -hard- waking the slumbering and likely hung over Tsunade up and causing Shizune to jump in surprise. 

“What’s going on?” Tsunade’s head shot from the desk, a bit of her hair pressed against her forehead. “Are we under attack?” A ray of clarity shined through when her eyes locked onto Sakura. “Oh, Sakura it’s just you, please don’t slam the door.” 

“Master,” Sakura walked firmly out into the center of the room and squared her shoulders. She let her anger and desperation out with a simple breath. ‘Remember the goal, but focus on what’s in front of me.’ “I have something to show you.”

“Oh? And what would that be?” Tsunade gave her a curious smile and rested her chin in the palm of her head.

Sakura tried to ignore the condescending tone that spilled from her master’s voice that made her nose crinkle in disgust. She could smell the alcohol on her master’s breath, like a puppy's, only without the cuteness to make it not as bad. “Would you say that you have a good understanding of what I do every day, and what I’m capable of?” 

“Yes?” Tsunade’s answer sounded like a question; the amusement was gone from Tsunade’s expression, replaced with confusion. “You’re one of the hardest working students I’ve had, you practically eat sleep and breath my instructions, but what’s all this about?” 

“So there’s no way that I would be able to learn the Rasengan is there?” 

“The Rasengan takes months to learn properly,” Shizune said in Tsunade’s stead. “And the only people that know it are Kakashi, Jiraiya, and Naruto.” 

“And they've all been out of the village for months.” Tsunade continued looking increasingly bored and less sober by the second. “Besides, the Rasengan wouldn’t the style you’ve been developing.” 

Sakura smiled and held out her hands. This was the first time she would be doing the Rasengan, her clone had completed the Jutsu, in theory, she would be able to do it as well. For a few breathless moments, nothing happened. 

The sound of a whirlwind erupted from her hand, joined by another and then another. Rotation and containment were child’s play, the power was where she struggled. For a second it waned, then she tapped into her seal, summoning her resolve and chakra in equal measures. 

A perfect orb of spiraling energy appeared in her hands and a smile on her face. Sakura stared at it for just a moment, she had seen Naruto do it countless times, she had memories of her clone doing it. But to hold one in her own hand was something else. “Then how do you explain this?” 

Sweat soaked her forehead, and her breath became ragged. The combination of maintaining the Rasengan while feeding her Hundred Strength Seal was too much. The volatile orb lasted for a mere ten seconds before Sakura had to drop it. 

It felt like all the blood in her body had suddenly been thrust into her head, it hurt to breathe, her fingers felt cold. The symptoms were obvious; Chakra Exhaustion. She fell forward, then she was falling back. Then somebody caught her. 

For a few dazzled seconds Sakura thought that the blond hair belonged to Naruto. Then the sickly sweet stench of alcohol stung her nose and brought a searing pain into her head. 

“Sakura?” Tsunade sounded worried. “What was that? How did you? When? Why?” 

There was more to it than that, something about her being a stupid mule headed girl, a bit of medical talk, but nothing really stuck as Tsunade’s healing chakra range into her ears. Sakura swallowed, her mouth both wet and dry. “Naruto taught my clone.” 

Satisfaction forced its way through her incoherent state. “Do you believe me now?” 

Tsunade let out a small laugh mixed with a snort of disgust. “About your clone? I don’t know what to think, but I better hear you out so you don’t end up killing yourself next time.” 

“That’s good,” Sakura mumbled her eyes growing heavy. At some point, she had been moved to a chair where Tonton acted as her loyal guardian. “I’ll let Ino and her dad do the talking.” 

For the better half of an hour, Sakura sat as she regained her senses, listening to Ino and her Father’s explanation of the events. They listed everything from likely causes, to possible solutions. 

Tsunade nodded arms crossed as she leaned back onto her desk; brown eyes were focused on Ino as she decided on a punishment. “So, to make everything crystal clear.” Tsunade pressed her palms onto her desk. “Ino used a custom variation of the Mind Transfer Jutsu to switch the bodies of Naruto and Sakura.” 

Ino nodded, looking meek and defensive. 

“And because Sakura had a mental aspect of her mind that was becoming unneeded, you believe that it simply fell off while Sakura’s mind was in Naruto’s body?” Tsunade looked to Inoichi for Confirmation. 

“Or something grabbed it.” A moment of silence drifted in the room as all the adults seemed to realize something. 

Sakura sat up the last bits of her exhaustion fading from her mind. “What grabbed it… er me?” 

“Oh,” Inoichi snapped out of his thoughts. “No idea, minds tend to want to stay in a body, and it's just a theory anyway, nothing for you to worry about.” 

“Regardless,” Tsunade said before any other questions could be asked. “I’ll be sending a team out to retrieve Jiraiya and Naruto and find out what exactly is going on. And hopefully an explanation on why Jiraiya hasn’t said anything about a clone of Sakura following them around.”

“Sakura, do you have an idea on where they might be?” Tsunade walked around to her desk, pulling out a map. 

“I umm, haven’t actually been tracking their movements recently.” She’d been far too preoccupied with being jealous of her clone and wanting to beat the crap out of Ino to even look at what she deemed as a fruitless effort. “I’ve been umm rather distracted recently, but I do know that they’re near a port city in Tea country!” 

“What are you distracted about?” Tsunade turned her attention to the map placing marks on the coast line. When Sakura didn’t answer she looked up to her. “Well?”

“Her clone has a date with Naruto!” Ino chimed in helpfully. “It’s got her all kinds of bothered, and extra violent.” 

Sakura sunk back into her chair, feeling Tsunade’s bemused look on her was like standing next to the sun, yet her cheeks felt twice as hot and an icy sweat drenched her back. Tsunade finding out about her crush on Naruto was in many ways worse than her parents. “Thanks, Ino, thanks a lot.” 

XXXX

In all honesty outside of eating together, talking, and maybe going for a walk; Sakura had no idea what to do on an actual date. Sure she had fantasies of Sasuke kissing her on a romantic candle lit beach under a full moon while he confessed his loved her and that immediately followed another fantasy of an extravagant wedding. 

But that was in the past now, she was on a date with Naruto. And by some ungodly miracle, he knew how what to do on a date or at least was pretending that he did and was just getting stupidly lucky at making her have fun.

Sakura smiled as she placed a hand on the curtain, examining the duplicate of Naruto’s necklace she had taken to wearing. It matched her eyes but beyond that, it was something of Naruto’s that he let her wear, it was important to him. Sure it was just a fake but show was she. 

With a flourish, Sakura flung open the dressing room curtain and strutted out in front of Naruto who went from bored to gaping the second he saw her. His reaction made her regret not paying attention to him sooner, he looked at her how she had always wanted to be looked at: Like she was the only person in the world. 

“Well?” She asked spinning around in a pink sundress with strawberries and other red fruit splattered on it. The dress left much of her arms, shoulders, and neckline exposed, a perfect piece to wear for the pleasantly warm climate Tea Country was known for. “What do you think?” 

“Ooh, it looks great on you Sakura!” Asking the boy that liked you if he thought you were pretty was felt like cheating and was no way to get an unbiased answer. But it did wonders for her self esteem. Besides, she was getting it for him.

She gave him a small curtsy. “Thank you, Naruto. Now, what’s the plan?” 

He took her hand like it was the most natural thing in the world, paying for the clothes and leaving the store to find the busy streets of a lively city. The sights and the smells were rich and fragrant, with every other store being a tea shop of some kind. But Sakura couldn’t focus on any of that, her attention was on Naruto’s hand. 

It wasn’t that it perfectly fit hers, it wasn’t that it was too rough, or that his palm was sweaty. No, it was the confidence that he had taken her hand with, there was no hesitation or second guessing. He simply took her hand like it was the most natural thing in the world. Like they had been dating forever. 

She found herself biting her lip as she squeezed Naruto’s hand tighter, weaving through the merchant booths on a busy boardwalk overlooking a beach of white sand. She had expected the first time she held hands with a boy to be started by her after a few moments of hesitation. For her to ask permission just barely loud enough for him to hear. Not for it to feel like the thousandth time they’ve held hands. 

And yet, as much as it felt like the most natural thing in the world there was still an air of excitement about it. It felt like it was the thousandth time they’ve done it for the first time. Was this what dating Naruto was going to be like? Both familiar and exciting all at the same time. 

“And here we are!” Naruto came to a sudden stop allowing Sakura to catch up, her fingers intertwined with his. It was the first time she noticed how nervous Naruto was, his face was tinged with red and his smile was shaky. 

She squeezed his hand, drawing his attention back to her. “You don’t have to be nervous Naruto, I want to be here.” Each word sounded like a giggle. 

The nervousness vanished from his face, his shoulders drew back in pride. “Thanks, Sakura, anyway, let’s go get some food.” 

Minutes later Sakura found herself biting into the most delicious strawberry she had ever had. It was covered in a thick gooey chocolate sauce with just the right amount of whip cream to enhance the bitterness of the chocolate and the sour sweet combination of the strawberry. Best of all, it was Naruto that was feeding it to her. 

“Mmm!” Sakura squealed as she pulled the delicate berry off of Naruto’s fork. Her lips barely touching the metal. She placed a hand over her mouth as she chewed the strawberry, eyes still locked on Naruto. “It’s so good.” 

“Cute,” Naruto said in half a daze. Without thinking or not caring he took a strawberry with his fork and plopped one into his mouth. His lips touching the metal where hers just did. 

An indirect kiss. Their first indirect kiss. Sakura felt her heartbeat go crazy. Her eyes darted from Naruto’s lips as he savored the strawberry to the fork as it descended down towards another strawberry. Her lips already tingling from the berries’ light acids and with the prospect of having another indirect kiss with Naruto. 

Swallowing she leaned forward her mouth open just enough for the strawberry to slide in, with her eyes closed. Any second now Naruto would romantically place a delectable strawberry in her mouth. She’d wrap her lips around the fork, slowly licking around it as she pulled the strawberry off in order to get as much out of their second indirect kiss as possible. 

Any moment now. Any second. He was just picking out the best strawberry for her. 

“Oh, man the second one is even better!” Sakura opened her eyes to see Naruto savoring his second strawberry. He presented her the fork like he would a kunai. “Here, don’t let me hog all of them.” 

“Hmph.” Sakura snagged the fork impaled a strawberry and stuck it in her mouth in one fluid motion. It stated just as good as the first one but her salty mood spoiled it. Naruto still needed a lot of work when it came to being romantic it seemed. She was going to have to through some heavy duty boyfriend lessons with him. 

“Sakura?” Naruto brought her attention back to him. The fork was still in her mouth as she turned to face him. His face was so close. “You got something on your cheek.” 

Was it cream? It was cream, wasn’t it? Was that why Naruto's face was so close was he going to lick it off of her? This was too sudden how on earth could she deal with this! Naruto was going to go from an indirect kiss to licking her lips to remove the cream. The Fork! The fork was in the way! If it wasn’t there she could… she could. Kiss him or something! 

Oh god was that too soon? Sure she’d only had her crush for a few months but Naruto had liked her long before that, it was only fair right that he’d want to kiss her but. But did she want to kiss him? 

The question would remain unanswered as Naruto’s finger grazed her lips taking the bit of cream with it. He stuck the finger in his mouth and smiled at her. “Got it.” 

He was teasing her! That had to be it! Naruto was doing this on purpose! He absolutely had to be there was no other reason for him to be so smooth one moment and then completely oblivious the next. 

Worse still it was working. 

“Idiot,” Sakura smiled, despite her blush and took another strawberry for herself. 

Despite his romantic blunders Naruto proved to be a perfect gentleman as they ate their main meal at the bakery. He was polite, well mannered, and only a little bit of a slob. Best of all was that despite spending hours talking at the dinner table and having spent countless days talking to him. They never ran out of things to talk about. 

Even as they head out to the beach to enjoy the setting summer sun as it sunk below the horizon Naruto was able to make her laugh with the same tired joke. 

“How are you so good at this?” Sakura asked, her feet partially buried in the warm beach sand. It amused her that they managed to spend a day at the beach without actually being at the beach. The summer fun of running around in the sea splashing water at Naruto while he stared at her was a wonderful idea. 

“Good at what?” naruto asked, his hand on top of hers. 

“Dating?” Sakura smiled, looking towards the night sky as the oranges bled into blues and the brightest stars began to appear in the dark corners of the sky, far away from the fading sun and full moon. “Being sweet, kind, and mostly romantic, did you have somebody give you tips.”

“Yep,” Naruto admitted easily without a second thought. “Ayame from Ichiraku's taught me some stuff and the pervy sage's advice isn’t all that bad, he’s the one that told me about the place with the strawberries. And something about them getting you in the mood.” 

“In what mood?” 

Naruto just shrugged into a comfortable silence as the last bit of the sun fell below the horizon. 

How many times was she going to look up to the stars with Naruto and have everything feel right? She’d never looked up to the stars before, they never held the shine that they did when she was with him. They were never interesting. They were just the stars. But with Naruto, they were something else. 

A chill breeze brought a smile to her’s face. “Hey, Naruto I’m getting cold.” 

“Oh, yea it is getting late.” Naruto stood up pulling her up as he did. “We should probably head back.” 

Sakura frowned, even as Naruto's had wrapped around hers. She didn’t want the date to be over already. “Naruto, when a girl you’re on a date with says she’s cold what are you supposed to do?” 

“Uhh, take them inside?” 

Sakura groaned and rubbed a palm into her forehead. “No, you’re supposed to give them your jacket.”

“But then I’d be cold.” 

“Just give me your jacket!” 

Moments later Sakura was smiling into the warmth of Naruto’s jacket. His real one was so much different from the replica she often appeared with. It was heavier, warmer. And it was Naruto’s. 

“You know this date really has been great,” Sakura paused on the sandy beach to look at Naruto; his blush visible thanks to the moon. “You were cute, smart, funny, and well I really want to go on another one with you.” 

The look on Naruto’s face told her everything she wanted to know. It was intoxicating being able to make somebody happy like that. She wanted to see him smile like that every chance she got now. 

“Thanks, Sakura, I really want to go on another one with you!” his smile lit up her night. How happy would he be if she kissed him? 

Screw it. 

“Naruto I’m going to kiss you.” So not the romantic thing first kiss she wanted. But that didn’t matter. She wanted to see what a kiss would do to him. What it would do to her. With her eyes closed. She leaned forward trusting Naruto to remain still and let her do this. 

He stopped her by pushing her shoulders back away from him.”I’m sorry I can’t.” 

“Why?” She didn’t know why she sounded so broken in that moment. Then it all came flooding in. Was it because she was just a clone? Was he in love with the real her and not the imitation that she was? 

“Because I still have to keep my promise to you.” Naruto smiled at her leaning forward. And pressing his lips onto her forehead. “I’m sorry but I just wouldn’t feel right until I bring Sasuke home.” 

XXXX

“You dumbass.” 

Sakura stared up at the stars with a vicious snarl on her face. She was annoyed that her clone was still trying to take Naruto for herself. She was annoyed that it wasn’t actually her that went on a date with Naruto. Annoyed that she was cold and didn’t have Naruto’s jacket, that her clone was the one to get kissed on the forehead. 

Even the small bit of satisfaction she got of Naruto refusing to kiss her clone vanished when Naruto’s words stuck with her. Oh, she might be annoyed at her clone. But she was pissed at Naruto. There she was throwing herself at him and he was still concerned about bringing Sasuke back; by himself no less. 

Sure she wanted Sasuke back too for a multitude of reasons. She could never bring herself to hate him. But that was no reason for Naruto to not let her kiss him.

Staring up at the stars Sakura noticed a shooting star dart across the sky. She smiled knowing exactly what to wish for. A wish that she would be working towards tomorrow. To be strong enough to bring Sasuke back. The thought of her bringing Sasuke back before Naruto got back brought a smile to her face. 

There was no way it was going to happen. After all, she told Naruto that they would do it together. But the idea of seeing Naruto’s reaction was too good. Raising her fist to the heavens Sakura once again felt that sense of purpose urging her forward. 

Become strong, bring Sasuke back, and give Naruto some competition when it comes to Hokage’s to be. “And if Naruto thinks I’m going to wait for Sasuke to come back before I kiss his dumbass he’s got another thing coming.”


	8. Chapter 8

“Repeat after me ‘I am a backstabbing bitch hellbent on trying to steal my own boyfriend.” 

Sakura glared. She glared at the slowly spinning fan on the ceiling, that was going far too slow for it to do anything but stir up the years of dust that had gathered on its blades. Her chair was too hard the pillow too soft. She had a lot of things she should be doing right now instead she was here. She just glared. 

“Ino, I’m not saying that.” Sakura glanced at her friend with enough ice on her shoulder to start a second ice age. She really really didn’t want to be here right now. Especially with Ino. “And you’re a shit psychiatrist. Why am I here again? And why is it with you?” 

Ino just smiled and wrote something down in a notebook Sakura was going to burn later. “Well, Lady Tsunade said that as punishment, I need to make sure that you don’t go crazy.” If anything Ino was going to be the one driving her crazy. “She said that you’re also too much for a normal shrink and that you need somebody that can make you speak your mind and get you angry enough to speak your mind.” 

That was hitting the nail on the head. 

“Fine but I won’t enjoy it.” Sakura huffed, arms and legs folded as she glared at the stupid fan, the damn thing was probably trying to hypnotize her or something. Maybe it would catch fire. “But I’m still not going to say that.” 

“Fine, then repeat after me ‘I’m jealous that I keep going out on dates with my boyfriend” 

“That doesn’t even make sense!” Sakura growled. “I can’t be jealous of myself!”

“But you are.” she didn’t have to sound so smug. 

“No, I’m not, my bitch of a clone is! And they’re not boyfriend and girlfriend yet!” Sure her clone was being really forward, hell she was pining over Naruto almost as badly as she was over Sasuke. Only Naruto actually responded and they did go on a bunch of dates so far. “They haven’t kissed yet! You seal the deal with a kiss!” 

Ino groaned. “Okay fine, I guess getting you to just admit stuff isn’t going to work. So tell me about how you and Naruto train.” 

“There’s nothing to admit,” Sakura sunk further into the chair, couch thing. She was fairly certain that the damn thing was trying to give her back problems. “And Naruto’s training is going fine, he can do the Rasengan one handed now, he’s not as slow as he was before and I think he’s gotten a whole lot stronger.”

“I’m sensing a but.” 

“But,” Sakura continued telling Ino to shut her mouth with her eyes. “I think he could be a whole lot stronger if Jiraiya would actually train him.” 

“What do you mean?” Ino asked between the scribblings of her pen. 

“Well it’s just that Jiraiya is,” Lazy, stupid, perverted, incompetent, clearly didn’t deserve to be called a sanin, let alone be entrusted with teaching Naruto, Kakashi would have done a better job. Hell, she was doing a better job and she was a genin. “Well, he’s just not as hands on as somebody like Naruto needs.” 

It drove her crazy, Naruto needed guidance otherwise he was going to end up doing something stupid like making an even more perverted jutsu. “He just sits there writing most of the time or he’s off peeping while he gives Naruto some vague direction to go in. leaving me and Naruto to try and do the training.” 

“Okay, so Jiraiya isn’t the best teacher, but what about Kakashi? How do you think Kakashi did?” 

Why were they on Kakashi now? Ino sucked as a shrink. 

“Kakashi-sensei was great I guess, I mean it was because of him that I was able to almost beat you in the chunin exams. He was also great with Naruto and Sasuke too.”

“And how did he teach?” Where was Ino going with this?

Sakura sighed and pinched her nose. “Well at the start it was mostly just teamwork stuff, but he always knew what to teach us for what came next, like before the chunin exams he gave me lessons on traps, and worked on my Taijutsu. And before the fight with Zabuza and Haku, he was able to Sasuke and Naruto enough for them to beat Haku.” 

“And how did he do that?” 

She wanted to punch Ino and shove that stupid notebook down her throat so hard she’d be shitting paper planes. Maybe she really did have anger issues. “Well, he showed us the tree walking exercise.”

“And did he walk you through each step.” 

“Well no,” Sakura snapped her head to Ino who had a stupid smile on her face that was just begging to be slapped off. “But it’s totally different from how Kakashi taught us! And Kakashi’s training was actually useful! I still use the tree walking exercise.” 

“I used to think that Shikamaru and Asuma’s playing shogi was the dumbest most useless thing ever. But, it turned out to be something that helped improve Shikamaru’s strengths.” Ino leaned back into her chair staring at her notebook with the pen in her mouth. “So maybe that’s what Jiraiya’s trying to do? What’s Naruto’s strengths, you know the kind you don’t really notice at first.”

“Are you trying to work in a life lesson in this or something? Because you got like fifteen minutes before our hour is up.” 

“No I'm just trying to help you work out your anger issues that stem from your inability to accept the truth of your current circumstance.” she could practically taste Ino’s smugness. 

“Which is?” she had never been so grateful to have training with Tsunade later. She really needed to take her stress out on something. Rocks would be good, maybe a tree, anything she could punch and break would be fine. 

“Aww,” Oh great Ino was doing an old guy voice. “Zat is something you must answer yourself. But really, I’m just here to point you in the direction, everything else is on your grumpy butt.” 

“You’re a shit psychiatrist you know that right?” 

“Now who's wasting time?” 

“Just tell me what you want me to learn!” Sakura stood up arms balled in fists at her side. She was shouting now and very angry. 

“Then it wouldn’t be as impactful!” Ino stood as well, throwing the notebook to the ground. “Honestly Sakura, you’re supposed to be the smart one. This should be easy for you to figure out, but you're so hung up on god knows what that you can’t accept the truth.”

“What Truth!?” 

“Times up!” Ino smiled sweetly. “Great work today Sakura, I’m sure we’ll get a breakthrough next week.” 

She wanted to punch Ino. In the face. Hard. 

XXXX

The hot springs of Konoha were supposed to be a place of relaxation, healing, and enjoyment. The baths were often mixed with medical herbs to help scars heal and muscles relax. Rumor has it that the First Hokage built the springs for his wife Mito Uzumaki, and she, in turn, placed seals on it to keep it in perfect condition. 

But for Sakura, it was just a rocky puddle of hot water. It didn’t relax her, it didn’t make her feel at peace. All it did was make her feel even more stressed that she wasn’t doing anything. 

It had been a few months since Tsunade had put the ninja teams on alert for Naruto, and so far not a one had been able to find so much as a trace of their passing or training, it was like Jiraiya was going out of his way to avoid Konoha ninja. 

Worse was that Naruto hadn’t been summoning her as much of late. It weirded her out that Naruto might somehow be annoyed with her like Sasuke was. If Naruto started not liking her because of her stupid clone before he even got back to Konoha she was going to…”I don’t know what I’d do honestly.” 

Sakura slowly sunk into the water, her hair floating around her head like a pink curtain. She closed her eyes and tried to relax. Everybody said that she had too much stress, way too much stress. It wasn’t her fault. She was a fourteen, (Or was it fifteen?) year old girl, that had a teammate turn traitor, was working shifts at the hospital as a nurse, oh and she kept getting the memories of her clone that was trying to steal her crush from her because she’s a shallow back stabbing bitch. 

It was perfectly natural for her to be stressed out. Hopefully, Naruto liked bald women. 

To make matters worse her therapy sessions with Ino were going absolutely nowhere her blond friend kept trying make her see a truth that wasn’t there or some other stupid bullshit. Wasn’t therapy supposed to make her less stressed? Ino sucked at it. Ino sucked at it hard. 

The only kind of therapy she needed was the punching kind. 

“Hey, Sakura!” A voice shouted from beyond the fence, it was male and slightly familiar. “Get out of the water before you turn into a prune!”

A loud bark was more of a calling card. 

“Kiba what do you want?” Sakura shouted back, water dripping off her body as she marched towards the exit. Kiba hadn’t really interrupted her or anything, but she’d be damned if she let anybody get away with shouting at her while she was in the bath. 

“I got a message from the Hokage for you!” 

A message from Tsunade? This was her day off right? She didn’t miss training or anything. “I’ll be right out!” 

Her hair was still wet by the time she got out to see Kiba and an Akamaru that looked to be about the size of a fully grown dog. A normal dog that is, as a ninja dog he was still a puppy. “What’s the message Kiba?”

Kiba smiled and rubbed the bridge of his nose at her. “She said that Naruto’s back.” 

If there was a rest of the message Sakura didn’t hear it. Her legs were moving before she even gotten over the shock. it didn’t make sense, from what she gathered from her clone they were days away from The Land of Fire, let alone Konoha. But it was certainly possible, she could have misjudged the area or distance or something!

But if a message from Tsunade said that Naruto was here. Then Naruto was here. And if Kiba was pulling some stupid prank then she’d break his nose. 

Her heart was pounding like drums in her ears as she sped towards the Hokage tower, her wet hair slapping against her neck with every step. She should have put on makeup or got her hair done, this was her first time seeing Naruto in forever she needed to impress him. To knock his socks off and hang them on her wall. 

But there was no time! Naruto was here. And he was just the kind of therapy she needed. A date with him sounded amazing right now, hell she’d even be willing to treat him to dinner at Ichiraku's. 

Oh and that clone of hers. She was going to enjoy making the wretched thing suffer while she kissed Naruto. After a bit of torture, then they’d find a solution to have the clone go away. 

“Naruto!” Sakura shouted as she entered the Hokage tower, she sped up the familiar stairs and barged through the doors of the office. Time froze as she entered the office. There was Jiraiya, looking as Jiraiya did. But then there was Naruto. 

“Hey there Sakura, long time no see!” Naruto said with a small smile. No something was off. This Naruto hadn’t changed. He wasn’t at all like the Naruto she had been spending every day with for the past year with. It was like he hadn’t changed or grown at all since the day he left. 

“Ahh, so is this the little troublemaker that had you call us back?” Jiraiya turned to Sakura with a scowl. 

“Yes, that’s the one.” Tsunade had a small frown on her face as she looked at Sakura. “She did offer some concrete evidence but with you here everything up in the air.” 

Sakura felt light headed, it became difficult to stand straight let alone think straight. “What do you mean? I…”

“We found them, near the last location of Jiraiya’s letters. On the other side of the continent from where you said they were.” Her Master’s words were like knives to the heart stabbing and twisting at her every thought. No. none of this made sense. 

“But, I…” Sakura began holding her head. 

“Sakura, I don’t know what kind of prank you were trying to pull. But something clearly isn’t right for you to act like this.” Tsunade sighed and placed her hands on the table. “You were such a good student too.” 

No, please no. Everything was falling around under feet. This, no this can’t be happening. 

“So until further notice, you will be placed in psychiatric care.”

“Master, I,” Sakura stammered her mouth moved and no words came out. She looked to Naruto, why wasn’t he defending her? He did liked her right? This was just a bad dream right? 

“I’m sorry Sakura, but if this really is some kind of prank, or if there is something wrong with you then I can’t have you as a student.” The words were like thunder. 

Something snapped then. It was probably the stress getting to her. Or maybe it was something else that had been wanting to roar out for a long time now. Tears fell down her face as her mind raced to find a solution. Her eyes fell on Naruto. 

He… he wasn’t really Naruto. Not the Naruto she had grown to respect and care for. If she could just prove that this wasn’t Naruto then everything would be fine. “Naruto make a shadow clone!” 

She took a step forward, he took a step back. “What why?” 

“Because you’re Naruto right? It should be easy for you to make a shadow clone.” She pushed the wet hair out of her eyes as she walked towards the shorter blond. She was right, he hadn’t grown at all since he left Konoha. Oh, the imitation was good. But she knew what the real Naruto looked like. 

“Come, on Tsunade can’t you calm your student down?” Jiraiya begged stepping between her and Naruto. This wasn’t like Jiraiya either. 

Sakura looked to her master. She continued towards Naruto each step seemed to last for an eternity. “Master I need to see this! Please Just let me see him make a shadow clone!” 

Tsunade let out a sigh. “Naruto just do what she asks, it’s just one clone.” 

“What? But I’m.” Naruto took a step back away from Sakura and Tsunade. “I’m not feeling too good so I…”

“Oh come on You’re Naruto, right? You can make more Shadow clones than anybody I know even when you’re halfway dead.” She goaded as she took another step towards the fake phony imposter that called itself Naruto. Her hands were balled into fists as she walked past Jiraiya, she had him pinned now. No escape. 

“But I.”

“Naruto just do the Jutsu!” Tsunade slammed her hands on the table hard enough for the desk to crack down the center. Jiraiya had leapt back to the other side of the room, his body pressed against the door. 

“Come on Naruto,” she had enough venom in her voice to kill a snake. “Make a shadow clone, show her to me.” 

She grabbed Naruto’s arm and pulled it forward hard. There was a poof, and Sakura found herself holding the small hand of a slimy green frog. 

“Don’t hurt me *ribbit*” The Frog squirmed in Sakura’s hand. “*ribbit* Jiraiya told us to do it *ribbit*” 

“Jiraiya.” Tsunade’s growl was low enough to shake the earth. She started at the Jiraiya shaped object as she advanced towards it, pushing both sides of her desk to the side. “You better hope you’re another one of his damn frogs, and you better have a damn good excuse for trying to trick me.” 

The Jiraiya vanished in a poof of smoke and a blue frog took its place. “I’m sorry Lady Tsunade. *Croak* Lord Jiraiya asked us to do this so that you wouldn’t interrupt the training. 

“That doesn’t explain the lies about his location, or not sending word about my student's clone showing up every day.” Tsunade leaned down to the Frog. “Now speak, before I decide to have salted frog for dinner.”

“But we’re toads.” The one still in Sakura’s hands flailed wildly. 

Sakura couldn’t help but smile. It wasn’t as good as Naruto being back in Konoha. But it felt good knowing that she wasn’t crazy. And. 

She felt it then, the smallest rush of chakra that came in from fresh memories. The calm before the storm. 

XXXX

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” 

Something was wrong. Sakura knew that the moment she was thrust into the area. The very air was charged with a cloud of malice and anger. She could smell blood. 

“Sakura quick!” Naruto reached grabbed her arm, half his jacket burned off and a seal of some kind rested on his forehead. The most shocking feature was how his body was covered with a thin layer of burns like he had been hit by a fireball jutsu. “Jiraiya’s hurt!” 

Sakura nearly vomited when she saw Jiraiya, he was drenched in blood, a giant wound in his chest was pouring blood like a primordial crater from which all life flowed. Her stomach wretched, but something held her back and steeled her nerves. She knew what to do. 

Naruto and Modesty would have to wait. The blood had to be stopped. She tore off Naruto's jacket and pressed it into the wound to try and stem the flow of blood. To Jiraiya’s credit, he barely winced. 

The procedures were automatic for her. Like they had been drilled into her a thousand times like she had done this again and again. She found the source of the bleeding (Which was everywhere) and blocked it with her chakra. Next, she used the jacket to get as much of the blood out of the wound as possible.

“It barely missed your heart,” Sakura muttered as she focused on mending the important flesh first, things like blood vessels and muscle tissue. “A centimeter to the right or left and you would be dead.” 

Jiraiya laughed, which made her life that much harder. “Give me some credit girly, my luck ain’t that good. And this is exactly why I kept you around, knew one day Naruto or I would get hurt. Always useful to have an apprentice of Tsunade around.”

“You talk too much,” Sakura growled, all of her concentration was going into his wound. Slowly bit by bit the wound began to close. She had gone for an accelerated Natural healing technique which amplified the body's natural regeneration a thousand fold. It was Ideal for repairing complex systems around the heart and bone. In just a few minutes it was as though Jiraiya had spent a month naturally healing in an intensive care unit. 

“Naruto!” she looked back at Naruto, his burns were already fading. Investigate later medical attention now. “I need bandages asap, and get me a lot of water!” 

The blond blinked at her wide eyed. Had her hands not be covered in another man’s blood at the moment she might have considered the look flattering. 

“Now!” she barked, and Naruto scurried away like a lost kitten. 

Minutes later Jiraiya’s wound was dressed and he was spared any lasting injury save for a scar on his chest. It still amazed her how she was able to do this. It was like she knew how to do these things, but she couldn’t remember the how or why. But what troubled her more was Naruto, he was now looking fresh, the burns he had should have taken much longer to heal. 

“So what exactly happened?” She asked with one eyebrow raised, hands on her hips. Her stance was wide and steady. If only to keep her from falling over. She was on the verge of vanishing, she used up too much of Naruto’s chakra. 

Naruto looked between her and Jiraiya, he looked afraid, remorseful, and sad. “I umm… well… I kind of went a little too far training.” 

“Naruto Uzumaki!” He nearly jumped out of his skin as she advanced forward: one steady footfall at a time. “You’re hiding something from me, and I want to know what it is.” 

“I umm… well… I don’t want you to be afraid of me,” Naruto mumbled taking a small step back. He kept flinching away from her eyes. 

She grabbed him by the shoulder’s balling the tattered remains of his shirt in her hands. “Listen here Uzumaki. I like you, I like you a lot, yes you’re annoying, stupid, loud, and an idiot, but I still like you and if i can like you despite all that. Then I can like you for whatever stupid thing you’re trying to hide from me.”

If she wasn’t so angry or drained she’d bring her point home with a kiss. Despite what Naruto said about bringing Sasuke back she still wanted to kiss him. And she was this close from snapping and making it crystal clear that she wasn’t like the girl he left behind in Konoha. She was her own person and she cared about Naruto!

“Just tell her brat, you’re stuck with her anyway.” Jiraiya waved his hand at the two of them, looking like he was watching a rerun he’d seen a thousand times. 

Naruto stared at her for a long second. She could see tears welling in his eyes, yet despite that, it was a look of how she always wished Sasuke would have given her - She was glad it was Naruto. He tore his eyes away from her and drew in a long slow breath. 

“I have the Kyuubi sealed inside of me, Jiraiya is training me to use it.” 

Sakura blinked. “Oh.” 

Everything snapped then, Naruto’s birthday, the way the way the villagers treated him, the chakra she saw when he fought Neji, the presence she felt on the bridge. It almost made her laugh, how could she not have noticed before now. 

“You’re an Idiot Naruto.” With the last of her strength, she placed a kiss on his cheek. “Summon me soon okay?” 

XXXX

“*Ribbit* Look wes sorry, but we don’t even know wheres Jiraiya is!” The blue toad squeaked under Tsunade’s glare. “But we can’t let you disturb the kids trainin!” 

“You better tell me what I want to know or I’ll make you croak.” Tsunade growled her hands around the toad’s neck.

Sakura stared at her most, tears poured from her eyes against her will, she tried to blink them away, and rub them away but they kept coming. “It’s the Kyuubi isn’t it?” 

The room grew silent and all eyes were on her. 

“That’s the training Naruto’s doing? Why he left the village? Why Jiraiya is being so secretive? Naruto has the Kyuubi inside of him.” She walked towards her teacher. She couldn’t believe it. “Why him?” 

It felt so wrong for somebody like Naruto to have the Kyuubi sealed inside of him. He was so nice, not anything like how she pictured somebody holding a demon at bay might act. It wasn’t fair. 

“Did he tell you?” Tsunade went from threatening the toad to hugging her so quick in made her head spin. She returned the hug in a heartbeat. 

“Yea, just now, Jiraiya got hurt, I healed him as best I could though.” Sakura blubbered out, her mind racing a million miles. Reliving every past instance where she was cruel to Naruto simply because other people were too. Sure he was actually annoying, but a fair amount of her dislike was simply because everybody else disliked him. “Why him? Why was the Kyuubi sealed into him? Why would the fourth Hokage do that?” 

Tsunade rubbed a small circle on Sakura’s back. “I don’t know, I wasn’t around then, but I guess it was bad luck that Naruto was just there.” 

Sakura looked at the photo of the Fourth Hokage. His blonde hair, his blue eyes. The Kyuubi. That was the final piece that made the conclusion snap. Konoha had plenty of blond haired men with blue eyes, any of them could have spawned the orphan that was Naruto. But Naruto had the Kyuubi sealed inside of him. 

Sakura’s mouth went dry. “It’s because Naruto was his son isn’t it?” 

Tsunade tensed before a soft chuckle melted her away. “You continue to surprise me Sakura, and I’m sorry for ever doubting you. It’s time I give you the trust you deserve from me.” 

“Maybe you can be the one to tell Naruto this, it’s not something I want to do or Jiraiya.” Tsunade looked at her with eyes laced with sadness. “Yes, Naruto is his son, and his mother was the previous container of the Kyuubi, Kushina Uzumaki.”


	9. Chapter 9

It felt like she had been struck by lightning. Lightning that had just drunk its third pot of lacing with crack, soldier pills, and enough sugar to rot a tooth in three points two seconds. It hit her in the middle of the night, interrupting a pleasant dream that involved foot massages, a Hokage's hat, and lots of giggling. 

Sakura shot out of her bed, tripping on the covers as she made her way to the bathroom, her brain registered that as the closest mirror even as she sped past the mirror that was attached to her door. 

Slipping onto the slip rug of her bathroom, Sakura turned the light on and scrambled up onto her feet. She could feel it, it was there. It was done. After nearly two years of gathering chakra, the seal was complete. She had to see it. 

For a moment she stared at the hair that covered her forehead like a present wrapped at Christmas. Biting her lip she swept the hair out of the way, catching just a glimpse of the diamond that now rests on her forehead, like a brilliant green island filled with life. She let her hair fall back over it. 

“I did it!” Sakura let out a squeal as she stomped her feet in rapid succession. She couldn’t believe it, even if it was thanks to her clone and Naruto, she had still managed to do the impossible. She let out another squeal, flipping her hair back again. “Maybe it’ll give Naruto a target to kiss.” 

A yawn that sounded more like a wounded bear than a human signaled her father dragging his feet to the bathroom door. He gave a squinting blink as he stared at her, the bathroom light shining against his slightly pink hair. “Sakura, sweetie, it’s two in the morning…. The fuck?” 

“Dad look!” Sakura pointed towards her forehead. “It finally formed this is the happiest I’ve ever been!” 

Kizashi looked at her like he was too old for this shit and let out another massive yawn. “Mebuki!” He was silent for a moment as he waited for her mother to wake up, or respond. “It’s puberty related you’re up!” 

Her father’s complete lack of excitement, attention to detail, and understand did not come as a surprise to Sakura. “Dad, it’s a ninja thing, I just completed the Strength of a hundred seal.” 

“At Two in the morning?” Her father rested against the door frame in extreme lethargy. For as energetic as her father was during the day when the night hit he was completely dead on his feet. “You couldn’t like to complete it during an epic battle or something?” 

“It doesn’t work like that dad.” Sakura rolled her eyes and attempted to part her hair so as to properly show off her seal. It was odd how she had spent much of your youth trying to hide her forehead, with Naruto’s words she had started to show it off more, with her new seal she wanted the entire world to see her giant forehead! It stood as a testament to the world that she was going to surpass Tsunade before they even knew what hit them! 

She gave another squeal and smiled in the mirror. 

“Why’s your daughter freaking out tonight?” Mebuki shoved past her husband, looking much more put together than her father, as she often did. She gave her daughter a quick look up and down before she elbowed Kizashi hard in the side. 

“Ow hey, what did I do!?” Kizashi groaned rubbing his side.

“We said no tattoos why does our daughter have a tattoo? Why’d you let our daughter get a tattoo?” Her mother had the ability to go from nothing to shouting in a heartbeat. 

Kizashi laughed and backed away from his wife. “Look it’s not what you think, it’s a seal or something? Sakura, what is it again?” 

“Why can’t I get a tattoo?” Sakura asked, adding another item to the list of rules she had no idea of. “And don’t worry it’s just a seal.”

While her father had managed to maintain a healthy career as a genin (he lacked any form of leadership ability), her mother’s bout as a ninja lasted two years into the academy where she decided that being a ninja wasn’t her thing. Which made her a little ignorant about shinobi stuff. 

“A seal?” Mebuki took a step behind her husband glaring at the diamond on her daughter’s head. “Why do you have a seal? Why’s it sealed inside of you? What’s sealed inside of you?” 

“Umm… Chakra, and it’s something that Tsunade taught me how to do. It’ll help me out in a fight, or when I need to heal a bunch of people.” Sakura tried her best to explain as calmly as she could. She had a feeling where her mother’s dislike of seals came from. The woman was cursed with just enough information to draw her own conclusions. 

“I thought you became a medical ninja so you wouldn’t have to fight!” Mebuki stepped away from her husband and marched up to her daughter. She placed a hand on both shoulders. “I was so grateful that my daughter was going to become a successful doctor! But now I find out that you still intend on fighting.” 

Sakura gave her mother an unapologetic smile. “I never wanted to stop fighting, not if I want to be the Hokage some day.” 

Sakura paused as a look of horror spread across her parents face. Though likely for different reasons. Her father’s face mirrored the one when she told him she was going to participate in the chunin exams. Her mothers was one of pure terror. 

“Oh did I say that out loud?” She knew she did. 

Kizashi acted first, bolting towards his bedroom like he had just consumed an entire pot of coffee. 

Mebuki was less composed as she broke out in tiers. “Sakura you can’t become the Hokage! None of them have ever retired! I forbid you from becoming the Hokage it’s not allowed!”

Sakura could do nothing but bite her lip and try to hold her tongue against her mother. “Mom, I’m sorry but I don’t think you can stop me,

“But, I…” Mebuki wiped her head around to see her husband trying to run while putting his pants. “Kizashi where are you going? Get back here and help me!”

“I’m going to go train if our daughters going to become Hokage I need to at least be a jonin!” Kizashi shouted as he either ran down the stairs loudly or fell down them. 

“What? I thought we agreed you’d stay a” she was interrupted by the front door slamming.

Sakura just gave her mother a warm smile. It would appear that she was now a carrier of Naruto’s infection dream that seemed to make everybody want to become stronger. 

XXXX

“What do you think Sakura?” 

There were many things that Sakura thought. Mostly, about how she and Naruto were unofficially official a couple. They were official in that they went on dates all the time, they cuddled together and did various couple things. 

But they still hadn’t kissed! Sure she gave Naruto kisses on the cheek whenever she good (Even sneaking a bit of side lip action in there when she could), and Naruto’s forehead kisses made her heart dance. But it wasn’t the same!

She wanted Naruto to press her against the wall while they made out, her hands grabbing fistfuls of his greasy blonde hair, his knee between her legs, keeping her pinned as his hand roamed along the underside of her shirt caressing her soft skin with his calloused fingers sending shivers along her entire body. 

She let out a wistful sigh and looked Naruto up and down, it was a simple outfit similar enough to his old one that it was an upgrade in style without redefining who he was. But that wasn’t all, she simply liked to look at him. He was so… he was just so Naruto and that was the most amazing thing in the world to her. 

It hit her then with the full weight of the world. Her crush on Naruto had developed to something truly amazing. It was what she had once felt for Sasuke, or at least what she had thought she felt. Sure she still loved Sasuke, the same as she loved her parents or Kakashi. But she was in love with Naruto, she was head over heels in love with him. 

In two years they had gone from barely friends to being in love. And it was amazing. 

“Sakura? Are you okay?” Naruto asked he hadn’t moved from where he stood to pose for her in his new outfit. But there was a look of concern on his face. 

With her elbow on her knee and cheek in her hand, Sakura smiled up at him. “I love it Naruto.”

Unlike with Sasuke she wasn’t just going to blurt it out every time she saw him. No Naruto was an idiot, he’d probably think that she was lying if she told him right now. Besides she was only slightly above telling him that she loved him inside of a clothing store.

She didn’t want it to be a surprise either, by the time she told Naruto she loved him, it wouldn’t come as a surprise or any kind of revelation, just a confirmation. She stood up and fixed the collar of his jacket. “I can’t wait to steal it from you.” 

”Oh well, you can have this one if you want.” She stopped his hand from unzipping it. 

“Naruto you’re missing the pissing, I want to wear that jacket because it's yours,” She said in her best flirting voice.

“But then can’t you wear the one you appear with?” 

He was so lucky he was cute. “But then I wouldn’t be wearing your jacket, just a copy of your jacket. Honestly, Naruto, have a bit of class, don’t you think I’m cute when I wear your jacket?” 

Naruto froze, a blush spreading across his face. “I umm, well I always think Sakura is cute and stuff.” 

“Good, now get the jacket and…”

“Sir?” A voice from the door sounded. “Is there someone else in there with you? Need I remind you that changing rooms are one per customer?” The handle was turning.

“I umm I’m not quite dressed.” Naruto shouted trying to make it sound like he was getting dressed in a hurry.

“All you brought in there was a jacket sir, I certainly hope you’re still decent.” The door was opening. 

Sakura shrugged and dismissed herself. The benefit of being a clone is that she can follow her boyfriend in anywhere. 

XXXX

 

“Earth to Sakura are you there?” Ino bopped her on the head with that infernal note book that she could have sworn she burned at least three times by now. Ino’s face then lit up like a light bulb and she opened the notebook, scribbling with a pen that the blond always seemed to carry with her. “Oh, I know you just got some new memories right? well, what are they!?”

“Really Ino? You want to do a session while we’re on the way to the chunin exams?” Sakura glared at her friend as they walked along the dirt road that led towards the village hidden in the grass. The city was already visible to them, with its towering modern buildings. Even the tallest building in Konoha the Hokage building was tiny compared to them. 

“Hey now, you’re the one that came begging me and Choji to be your team in the chunin exams because. The least you could do is indulge me!” An excited Ino was nearly as unbearable as an excited Naruto. Sure Naruto was more energetic and louder, but Ino was manipulative and had questionable morals to get what she wanted. “I’m afraid without that information I might just not feel up to doing the exams ya know?” 

Cunt. 

“Fine, I’ll tell you,” Sakura grumbled as she took a step closer to Ino so as the rest of their company couldn’t hear them. It was fine for Ino to hear, but the others - especially Rock Lee and her Father - did not need to know anything. 

It still amazed her that her father was participating in a Chunin exam, his first one since she was born. He even got a bunch of other repeated failures to join him. As bad as it was to say Sakura didn’t think they had the chance to pass. 

The Third team from Konoha to join them was Lee, Tenten, and Neji. 

“Naruto was finally getting a replacement to his jacket, and wanted my Clones advice if it looked good on him.” Sakura eyed around to make certain no one was actually listening. So far she had managed to successfully keep her parents from finding out about everything including her crush on Naruto. Though she couldn’t call it a crush anymore. 

“Oh, got a reverse strip show from your boyfriend now did you?” Ino said almost too loudly. 

“Shhh, if you want to know keep it down.” Sakura waved her hands in front of Ino’s mouth to try and catch the extra noise. “And he’s not my boyfriend, he’s my clones boyfriend.” 

Ino rolled her eyes and let out a long exaggerated sigh that stretched on for longer than necessary. “Fine fine, well how did Naruto look then?” 

“Like, Naruto,” Sakura said, feeling as though she was on cloud nine as she remembered seeing the feelings were all there in crystalline clarity. “But that’s how what’s important, he did look good in the jacket. But my clone realized that she’s in love with Naruto”

“And what about you?” Ino asked. 

“What about me?” Sakura retorted, folding her arms in defense. 

“Do you love Naruto?” Ino said in that way she had like the answer was the most obvious thing in the world. 

“Yea.” The word didn’t surprise her, the revelation that she was in love with Naruto didn’t surprise her. It was how easy it was to admit it that surprised her. The word just flew from her mouth as easy as a breath. There was no hesitation, no embarrassment, not pinning. Just a warmth that spread through her entire body. “I kind of do love him.” 

“But why do you love him?” Ino asked, scribbling nonsense into that stupid notebook. “You haven’t even seen him in what is it now? Two years? Hell, you don’t even write each other, so how can you fall in love with him?” 

“I…” Why did she love Naruto? Well, he was Naruto, he was sweet, kind, loyal, infatuated with her, always treated her like she was the most important person in the world. And there was just the way he looked at her. It was how she wanted to be looked at. “Well I see him every day, and.”

“You see him or your clone does?” Ino’s words cut like a scalp, dismantling what little reasoning Sakura had. 

Sakura bit her lip, she had only just realized that she was in love with him. How on earth was she supposed to defend that idea? She had so many memories of him being sweet and taking her out on random dates, he made her laugh without thinking, he made her feel special, he made her fall in love. That’s all there was to it. “What does it matter I still get the memories. That’s how I fell in love with him my memories.”

With an exaggerated motion, Ino placed her hand her forehead. “Finally we get to the point, honestly I thought you were smarter than that.”

“What are you talking about now?”

“What we’ve been talking about!” Ino’s voice was at a whispered yell. The two locked eyes for a moment. “You know, you, yourself, and your boyfriend.” 

“As much as I want him to be he's not my...” Sakura was interrupted as Ino grabbed her shoulders and began to shake her violently bringing them to a dead halt. 

“Yes, he is! I’ve been trying to beat this into you for like a year!” Ino was shouting now. “Honestly I thought that this would be easy, hell you even said it yourself when you dragged me to the Hokage. Your clone doesn’t think she’s you, but she is a part of you. So yes, Naruto is your boyfriend!” 

It… it made sense, more sense than she was willing to admit. If she thought of her clone as her well a part of herself then that would mean she actually did all those things. It was her that was dating Naruto, it was her that had spent so much time with him, it had always been her. 

But would it really be that easy to simply remove that festering ball of jealousy she had been following her around for these past months? To her delight, those feelings melted away into nothing making way for joy and happiness. 

“Naruto’s my boyfriend.” the words tasted sweet, of honey and oranges, leaving a tingling on her lips as though she had just kissed a fairy, that spread through her entire body, warming her entire body like she was being held. It was addicting. “Naruto is my boyfriend!” 

“I’m sorry,” Her father’s voice echoed from behind them. “What’s this about a boyfriend?” 

Crap. So much for keeping this a secret from her parents. 

XXXX

Blood was on her hands. 

The Chunin exam had gone relatively well, they had managed to decipher the riddle in the first round, survived the Maze of Grass. But it was the final tournament round where things went downhill for Sakura. 

“You know you missed your match right?” A woman’s voice sounded from the entry way, Sakura had all but taken over this room of the infirmary. 

Not because of a dislike of the Grass ninja medical skills, It was mostly because the leech summons they relied on creeped her out. 

Sakura looked towards the boy whose life just moments ago she had saved, he had to be no older than she was during her first chunin exam. She didn’t even know his name, but an accident during his match had eviscerated him. “I couldn’t just let him die.”

He would have been dead too. 

Her body acted on its own, expressing all the training and purpose that Tsunade had drilled into her. Before she knew it she was over the railing disqualifying herself as she interfered with a match. 

“He’s not even from your village.”

“He’s still an ally,” She didn’t need the justification. Sakura turned to look at the woman and found her mouth agape. 

Dressed in the ninja attire of a grass ninja was Futaki, the girl that had claimed to be the daimyo's daughter from The land of Rivers. Sakura immediately wanted to punch her pretty face. The girl had gotten taller, more womanly as though puberty refused to let go of her. 

Futaki smiled at her and gave a small wave. She bounced. Just waving her hand made her bounce. “Long time no see, Sakura right? Is Naruto around?” 

“My boyfriend,” It felt so good to say that to this stupid hussy was practically throwing herself over Naruto. “Isn’t here, right now. And what about you I thought you were the daughter of the Daimyo in the Land of Rivers, not a Grass ninja.” 

Even her laugh oozed womanly attraction. A broken nose could fix that laugh, make it more a wombat snort. “Oh, no, not from The Land of Rivers, though I suppose I never properly introduced myself to you.”

She gave a perfectly practiced bow. “My Name is Futaki Osara, youngest daughter of Lord Ikki Osara Daimyo of the Land of Grass, I’m also a chunin of the Village Hidden in the Grass.” She returned from the bow, with that stupid perfect smile of hers that could make any man faint. 

“Then what were you doing in The Land of Rivers?” Sakura kept her voice as neutral as possible, which was just shy of growling through her clenched teeth. This woman rubbed her in so many wrong ways. 

“Oh, my father sent me there to woe the young Daimyo of the land, and offer me as his trophy wife.” There was a hidden malice behind the girls every word. “Needless to say, that plan failed, and now the Lord of the Rivers is betrothed to the love of his life, that just so happened to be a servant girl. I wonder how that happened.”

Sakura squared her shoulders, as a bit of female companionship flooded over her. She might hate Futaki. But the idea of being forced into a marriage made her skin crawl. “Is that why you were flirting with Naruto?”

Futaki offered her a simple shrug. “Not really, there were plenty of other boys that were looking for a cute girl like me, but Naruto wasn’t like them, I saw him and had to talk to him. I still think about him from time to time.”

Diplomatic repercussions or not Sakura it was taking all her energy to not punch the taller woman through the wall. “You only met him for a few minutes.” 

“Leave a lonely princess to her fantasies of being whisked away by a charming young princess will you?” She grumbled and folded her arms beneath her bosom. “Not like I stood a chance with him, not with you around.”

The anger was replaced by curiosity. “What do you mean?” 

Futaki snorted and turned so that her profile was towards Sakura. Stupid good looking noble genes. “That boy would do anything for you, I’m honestly a little envious. Though, I’m glad you finally came to your senses and saw his value.” 

“Thanks, me too.” Sakura smiled and brought a hand up to her beating heart. Maybe this woman wasn’t the worse person in the world. 

“Though, if things don’t work out, be sure to send him my way.” 

Scratch that she was still a giant bitch. 

“Or if you ever want a three-way, I’m starting to see what he sees in you, once you get pass all the anger.” With that Futaki turned to leave, her hips swaying opposite her hair, in a way that was meant to be provocative. Worse thing was that it worked more than Sakura cared to admit. The woman turned back to catch Sakura staring and smiled. “Oh, I was sent down here to tell you that your Hokage wishes to speak to you.” 

Stupid sexy bitch. She was already in a three-way with her own mind!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Futaki was designed to be an OC for a Naruto x OC fic I had planned.


	10. Sex warning? Sex warning!

There was only so much teasing a love struck teenage girl could take before she snapped. And that’s exactly what Naruto was doing to her. He knew exactly what he was doing by training without his shirt on. Worse was that he was doing it on her sixteenth birthday. 

And they were a week away from Konoha. Where the real Sakura was lying in wait to no doubt steal Naruto from her. Or worse get rid of her. No, she needed to lay her claim on Naruto. To make certain that he wouldn’t ever be able to forget her. To make him hers. 

She was going to kiss him. To hell with his promise. 

Sakura looked around the familiar territory of The Land of Fire; there were trees everywhere, Jiraiya wasn’t anywhere nearby. It was just her and her shirtless boyfriend in the middle of a beautiful forest. 

It would be romantic enough for their first kiss. 

Jiraiya had said something about finding an Inn tonight as well. 

“Hey, Naruto.” She swayed her hips in a way that drew his eyes to her slender waist. She supposed it was partially her fault that he was shirtless. She did steal his jacket again. Naruto’s eyes felt like fire on her skin. If it was anybody else, she’d pound them for being perverted. But it was different with Naruto. “Do you know what day it is?”

“Uhh,” He swallowed when she came to a stop, hip popped to one side. It was so easy to exploit his weakness, certain looks, stances, and words made Naruto puddy in her hands. Well, more than he normally was. “Wednesday?” 

“Yes, but what’s today’s date?” She walked up close to him, less than an arm’s length away from him. 

“March twenty- oooh.” Naruto’s eyes went wide as realization sat in. He swept her up into a giant hug burying her head into the nook of his shoulder and neck. “I’m so sorry! I forgot it was your birthday! What should I do! Oh I know I’ll give you something? Is there anything you want?” 

Sakura smiled and returned Naruto’s hug. He was sweaty, gross, smell, slightly sticky, but above all else, he was mouth wateringly hot. Was it wrong that she looked up ab workouts and made him do them a year ago? The results said no. “It’s okay Naruto, I almost forgot myself.”

She’d been keeping track since she realized what month it was twenty-seven days ago. 

“Still, I feel bad, is there anything I can get you?” Knowing her loveable idiot, he’d probably worry himself into a rut over forgetting her birthday. 

Sakura pushed Naruto away, and huffed at him, it took all her willpower not to smile. “What makes you think I even want anything at this point? Forgetting your girlfriend’s birthday is a major no-no.” 

Just the right amount of milking before she struck, Naruto’s hands were on her shoulders in a heartbeat. “Please don’t be mad, I’ll do anything you want, just name it.” 

“Kiss me.” Sakura smiled up at him, the difference in height was noticeable and so alluring. 

Naruto relaxed when he finally saw through her ploy. In no time at all, he laid a tender kiss on her forehead. As much as she enjoyed the kisses to her forehead, as much as they just seemed so perfect, as much as she wanted one every day when she saw Naruto. She wanted more. She wanted so much more. She wanted more. 

So much more. 

“There you go Sakura, happy birthday!” Naruto held his arms out wide as though to offer her the world. “I really am sorry I let it slip my mind.” 

“You missed.” Sakura glared up at him as her devious plan was going just as she expected. She grabbed Naruto’s face and brought it down to hers. “It’s my birthday and when I said I wanted a kiss, I meant a real kiss.” 

She didn’t leave room for Naruto to protest. She didn’t give him time to think as she kissed him with two years worth of pent up kissing frustration. Oh, who was she kidding it was sexual frustration pure and simple Naruto was nothing but a stupid sexy tease. 

At first, he didn’t respond, her lips just pressing against his. There was no slow build up, no signal for the torrent of emotions that flooded into the kiss. The dam that had separated their desires vanished allowing conflicting rivers to battle for supremacy of the fertile land of their love. 

Neither one of them were good kissers. But the process of learning was just as exciting. With every breath they took, every second they spent staring at each other's eyes they got better, learning what worked and what didn’t experimentation was key. 

And every kiss only made her want more. So much more. 

After it felt like forever had ended in an instant they parted for a lasting second. Naruto’s hot breath still tingled with hers as he rested his forehead against hers, their noses touching in a sweet Eskimo kiss. 

“Wow,” Naruto swallowed his hands had found their way under her shirt to her back, where the hot skin on skin contact sent lightning storms of pleasure along her body. It felt so wonderful to have her arms wrapped around his neck, she never wanted to let go. “Can we do that again?” 

Her answer was to leap upwards, wrapping her legs around Naruto’s waist while his hands moved to be placed firmly on her ass. He squeezed and she kissed him deeply. Every blissful second only made her addiction run deeper. Naruto stumbled forward pinning her against the tree as the two of them continued to learn more about each other, seeking pleasure for both of them in new and interesting ways. 

When their tongues got involved Sakura thought she might. Rational thought had abandoned her as her feet hit the ground, Naruto’s hands still grabbing handfuls of her bottom. She peeled Naruto’s jacket off and quickly began to remove her shirt. 

The kiss ended as her shirt passed between them, and Naruto got an eye full of her bare chest. It wasn’t the first time that he had seen them. But it was the first time she had showed them to him. His eyes went wide as saucers, one hand released her ass to travel along her navel to just below her breast where he paused. 

“I just did it so we’re even,” Sakura blushed, her entire body felt like it was on fire under Naruto’s perverse stare. Boldness and desire won out over embarrassment as she took his hand and placed it on top of her breast. She needed to be bold if she wanted to make certain the Sakura in Konoha wouldn’t be able to sink her teeth into her man. “Well, do you like it?”

“I, you, beu, daga.” Naruto gave up on words and just nodded dumbly his eyes never staying in one place for very long. He finally gave her breast a squeeze and mumbled. “Soft.” 

It was probably the three years she spent with the biggest pervert in the world and his perverted apprentice speaking but Sakura’s hand traveled down Naruto’s stomach admiring his muscles that she would love to eat dinner off of. 

“Hard.” She replied as her hand duck down into Naruto’s pants to find. Oh, oh. She was expecting it to be erect - it had better be after seeing her topless- but, she wasn’t expecting the size of it. She had never seen an erect penis before, let alone felt one. Surely Naruto had to be gifted though. She had to see it. 

Before she had the time to even consider her actions she fell to her knees unzipping Naruto’s pants revealing his blue underwear that was straining against his erection. The bitter smell of sweat hung in the air and was almost enough to drive her away. But then as she touched it through his underwear and she heard him groan, it was like adding fuel to the already roaring flame of her desire. 

“Gnuh, Sakura,” Naruto groaned out at the slightest of her touches. 

With no flourish, she ripped down Naruto’s underwear. It was nearly comical how his grotesque penis sprung for nearly hitting her in the face. It was hot, pulsating, and veiny. The scent repulsed her. It was curiosity and desire that drove her in equal measures. She reached out and gripped it. 

Naruto moaned again and his hands found her scalp irresistible. His sounds, his touch were sending her into a frenzy. She pumped once along its length, another moan. It was addicting hearing him sound like that. 

“Saaakura!”

Especially when it was her name. 

Experimentation was important, she brought the bulbous head towards her mouth and licked it. The taste was bitter and salty, an offense to her scenes. But it was Naruto’s moans that drove her forward. Within moments she had the tip in her mouth while making long slow strokes along his length. 

Was it getting harder? Was that even possible? 

“Sakura I’m gonna.” Naruto’s rubbed her head in sensual circles, even as his hips began to match her movements. 

His words left him as she redoubled her efforts. 

It came gushing into her mouth, naruto’s virulent sperm, the taste alone was enough to make her gag, the texture only made it worse. She leaned back to spit out his load. His penis still stood proud like a monolith of sexuality. 

It occurred to her then, that at some point. Some Point really soon that was going to be inside of her. 

Naruto’s cock twisted and another load shot out from it larger than the first hitting her in the face and covering her hair. Then another leaving her covered in the smelly sticky sperm. 

Meanwhile, Naruto stood sweat glistening on his muscles as he stood panting. He blinked at her a smile twitching on his face. He offered her a hand up, one she took without hesitation. “Can we do that again?” 

Sakura smiled up at him. It started with wanting a kiss for her birthday, and now she had just given her Boyfriend a blowjob. And she wanted more. Much much more. 

“Hey, brats!” Jiraiya boomed from nearby. Either for once having the tact to announce his arrival or announcing that he already knew what they were up to. “I got us a place to stay tonight!”

That was perfect. 

“Summon me tonight, after a bath.” 

Another good thing about being a clone, she wouldn’t have to wash Naruto’s sperm off of her. At least not right now, tonight she was going to make certain that Naruto wouldn’t ever think about the Sakura in Konoha. 

Before she vanished, she smiled at him. “Or during your bath.” 

XXXX

 

“Hey, forehead!” Ino shouted from the other end of the couch they were carrying through a doorway. “You okay?”

Sakura shook her head and looked at her blond friend wide eyed and completely lost. The memory of what had just occurred ran havoc through her mind and body causing her entire face to heat up and an unusual tingle in her lower region. 

In a second she went from normal and slightly frustrated that she was spending her birthday moving furniture to horny as all hell and sexual frustration that ran a mile deep. Still those kisses, those sounds, the taste she could do without. 

“Holy crap I think I’m going to have sex with Naruto tonight.” Oh, she was. Her clone had been hell bent on kissing Naruto for months now. And now that she had finally kissed him, she wanted more of him. 

And Sakura was in full agreement. If her clone failed to get Naruto to kiss her before he came back to Konoha then she would have greeted him with a searing kiss before he even said hello. But now there were going to be many ways to greet her lover. 

Ino dropped the couch and climbed on top of it so that her face was inches away from Sakura’s. “Details girl I want details! Tell me everything.” 

Dammit, why did she have to blurt that out? Oh, wait she was horny and having problems thinking straight thanks to the raging hormones that were telling her body to go find her hunky boyfriend and do drugs off of his chiseled chest muscles while she rode his dick. Blurting out that she was going to have sex with him was probably on the mild side of things. 

Sakura sighed and ran a hand along her long ponytail flipping it back over her shoulder. “Let me guess you won’t be able to help me anymore if I don’t tell you?” 

Ino flipped onto the couch and began to act like she was dying in a really bad play. “Alas I cannot for I crave knowledge more than I crave food, should I not receive this then I shall wither and perish.” 

To finish of her grand performance ino let out a croak and went limp. 

“Fine, I’ll tell you as we work.” Maybe venting would be a great way to relieve some of her sexual tension. Oh who was she kidding, likely the only person that could do that would be Naruto. Why couldn’t she be the one stuck with a clone of Naruto? 

Ino rolled off the couch and resumed her duties of carrying at least some of the burden. “So, what’s the deal? Is it some birthday sex?”

“You remember how I was frustrated that Naruto refused to let me kiss him?” Sakura asked as she shifted the weight of the couch moving it towards the spot she had picked out. 

“Yea,” Ino nodded, doing her best to do as little work as possible. “Oh, did Naruto finally snap and succumb to your feminine wiles?”

“No, I was the one that snapped, I asked him for a birthday kiss and he did the forehead kiss thing.” Sakura felt the phantom tingles of her kiss on her lips, her first kiss was burned into her mind. “He did and it was sweet like always. But that wasn’t enough.”

“So then you pushed him against a tree and forced him to kiss you?” 

“Yea, that’s pretty much what happened.” Despite the fact that it was her pressed against the tree. Sakura gently set the couch down while ino just let her side drop. Those marks weren’t going to come out easy! 

“Wow, you must have been repressed for you to go from the first kiss to hell bent on losing your virginity in one day.” Ino flopped back down onto the couch, somehow managing to look like she had been there for hours. An evil glint appeared in her friend’s blue eyes. “Almost like you’re missing a step.”

“Well, maybe but that’s for me to know and you to find out.” Sakura huffed and examined the room with a sense of pride. It had taken a long time, but the house was finally finished. And right on time for Naruto to come back. 

“Well is Naruto hung?” 

“Like a horse.” The words flew out of her mouth before her brain had even registered the question. With a squeak, Sakura flung her hands over her mouth to keep any other traitorous words from escaping. 

She was still trying to come to turns with the fact that she gave Naruto a blow job! Now Ino knew and then everybody else was going to know. And why was this making her hornier? Dammit, Naruto better satisfy her.

Dammit! Why was she the one that became a pervert? She blamed Naruto. And Jiraiya. Mostly her stupid sexy boyfriend. 

“Oh?” Ino mewled like a cat. “How big are we talking?”

“You don’t need to know that!” Sakura howled. “Honestly Ino it’s like you’re trying to live your love life through me.” 

Ino just smiled. “Call it a hobby, but fine I won’t ask for any more details. Naruto’s not that far out though is he if you run you might be able to interrupt yourself mid coitus.” 

The thought had crossed her mind, it was through her request that Tsunade had stopped the alert for Naruto and Jiraiya. Tsunade disagreed at first, saying she already had Jiraiya’s tombstone picked out, It was Sakura’s plan that had convinced her. 

With a huff, Sakura sat down on the couch pushing Ino’s legs out of the way. “As tempted as I am, Naruto will get here when he gets here. Besides I there’s still a lot I need to do before he gets here.” 

“Like learning how to make something edible?” 

Sakura gave Ino a dark glare. “I’m not that bad! Besides Naruto has clones, he should be the one to do the housework and stuff, not like he doesn’t have domestic skills already.” 

“You sure you’d be okay with eating ramen for like,” Ino twirled her finger in the air to demonstrate a vague amount of time. “Ever?” 

“I’d eat ramen every day if I didn’t have to do laundry or dishes.” Sakura leaned back enjoying the comfort of her new couch, although new was a relative term considering she bought it used from a yard sale. Actually, all of the furniture she had boughten was used. Except for the bed. 

“I still can’t believe you’ve done all this for him.” Ino gestured to the house they were residing in. “Just a few months ago the place was a dump, and now it feels like a home.” 

This was her gift to Naruto. A fully furnished house, ready for a young couple to spend their lives together, and fit for a family as well. But beyond that, it was Naruto’s, to begin with. It was his rightful childhood home, partially destroyed by the Kyuubi attack, ransacked, and abandoned. But it was still his. And now because of her, it was a home. 

Their home. 

“Well it’s not just for him, it’s closer to the hospital so I can come crash here after a long shift or something.” That was just the lie she told her mother and father, and apparently Ino. Mostly it was to have her space with Naruto. 

“Pfft, excuses excuses, just admit that you want a place of your own so you can screw Naruto’s brains out.” 

Not entirely a false. 

XXXX

“Shadow Clone Jutsu!” 

She appeared with a splash, knee deep in the warm private bath of an Inn. She was Naked, Naruto was naked. They were naked. Candles and rose petals were scattered about. The bravado she felt early was nothing but a distant echo. Her hands flew to her private areas to try and preserve her already dead modesty. 

“I umm, I summoned you, like you asked.” Naruto rubbed the back of his head, letting out a nervous laughter that faltered with each passing moment. His hands fidgeted by his sides unsure of what exactly he should be doing. 

Sakura bit her lip and stared at Naruto, taking in his naked form, committing every inch of him to memory. Her confidence was surging with every second. Slowly she lowered her defenses, allowing Naruto to see her. All of her. 

They stared at each other with lust and desire building in the air like a supercharged super cell. 

“I umm, I asked Jiraiya for advice,” Naruto blurted out, his eyes rested on hers in between trips along her body. He walked forward disturbing the warm water. His erection bobbing along with every step. “I’m going to touch you now, is that okay?” 

Sakura nodded despite the nervousness she felt. Jiraiya knew about this? What was Naruto going to do? His touch felt like fire on her skin, every motion felt like she was getting ready to combust. 

He kissed her with just must fervor as their kiss earlier that day. That foolish promise with Sasuke was long forgotten behind the veil of their relationship. His hands roamed her body, sliding along her sensitive areas that nobody had ever touched. Save for him. 

He kissed her again on the jaw. Another on the neck, her shoulder, her chest. His march downward paused as he sucked on her breast for a moment, one of his hands was pressed firmly against her back while another entered her. 

His fingers were magic as they tentatively probed her insides for the spots that made her moan and squeal. He found more than she could count leaving her squirming as she stood there, supported only by Naruto’s hand on her back. 

“Naruto,” She mewled grinding her hips into hand more. She was in heaven, there was something about his touch that felt other worldly. Was he using chakra? Was Jiraiya such a master that he could pass on such skill to Naruto in just a few hours? Was Naruto just a natural?

Was it just her love that made everything with him feel better?

Naruto stopped worshipping her breasts and continued on his kiss pilgrimage down her naval sending tremors throughout her body that mingled with the spasms his fingers were causing. Something was building. Something big a massive feeling ready to explode as soon as it was complete. 

She was close when she felt Naruto’s fingers exit her. Both of his hands were now firmly placed on her ass. 

“Please, don’t stop,” she begged feeling his kisses as they continued down towards her. Wait, was he? 

He kissed her there at her entrance teasing her in the most perverse way possible. His fingers were one thing. But his tongue was another. The flexible muscle spun circles inside of her. His hot breath stoking the flames of that building feeling of pure pleasure. 

Already her mind was going blank as more and more of her attention was drawn towards her sensitive area where Naruto was working. 

Then she hit it. An orgasm. “Naruto!” She called out his name as she gripped his hair desperately trying to push Naruto further inside of her. “Holy crap Naruto!” 

Her knees were weak and she fell forward into his arms as the shockwaves of her first orgasm continued to rock her world.

“Happy birthday Sakura,” Naruto whispered as he kissed her forehead, she might have been disgusted if she thought about what he had just been doing. But she didn’t care. All she wanted was more of Naruto. 

She kissed him again and again. “Did Jiraiya get us separate rooms?” 

“He pulled some strings.” 

Sakura smiled as Naruto carried her to their room for the night, dressed only in a loose bathrobe that barely hid any of her naked form. Her hair was still damp as her noble steed carried her to their bed. 

It was a small room with a single bed and gave off a slightly cheap vibe. This wasn’t the grand luxury suite. It was simply a room with a bed. 

It would do.

She slipped free of Naruto’s grasp and dropped onto the bed so that the bathrobe hid nothing from him. “Please, Naruto I want you.” 

No that was wrong, she needed him like she needed water. She wished to drink from his pleasures, to ease the ache that had been growing alongside her desires. Any alternative motives she had were washed away by the need to make love to Naruto. 

For nothing would spoil their first time. 

He fell upon her barraging her naked form with his kisses and roaming hands that marauded every inch of her. Her own hands found his hair returning his kisses with just as much lust, sucking and biting on his lip until she tasted blood. 

The pain only seemed to make him all the more eager as he let out an earth shattering moan that had her body tingling from its guttural tones. “You’re so beautiful.” 

Sweet, but not what she needed right now. “Please Naruto. I want to do with you. I want you to be my first time. Please, I need you.” 

“Sakura, I,” Naruto swallowed as he looked down at her. 

She silenced him with a kiss. Her hand guiding his monolithic pillar of sexuality to her ravenous entrance. Again it occurred to her that something that large was going to be inside of her, the thought was almost enough to send her quivering. “It’ll feel good Naruto. I promise. Don’t you want to feel good? With me?” 

He nodded whatever hesitation or reserves he had were destroyed by desire. 

Her world shook as she felt his bulbous head begin the process of entering her. She did not think Naruto could ever do anything so slowly, but each second was an agonizing storm of pleasure. 

He reached the turning point. The painful point where he was too big for her. She let out a scream of pain and ecstasy. Before she vanished. 

XXXX

“Naruto!” Sakura screamed as the feeling of her first orgasm combined with all of the other foreplay that was sending her over the edge hit her all at once. Her entire body spasmed as she entered the fetal position. “Fuck!” 

The aftershock of the sensations hit her with just as much force as the first orgasm did. It was a good thing she was in the safety of Naruto’s new home and not in the middle of a mission, or tending to a patient at the hospital. 

As the pleasure died out Sakura began to laugh as she stared up at the slowly spinning ceiling fan of what would one day be hers and Naruto’s bedroom. “I can’t believe my first time was ruined by my boyfriend's dick being too big for a clone to handle.”

Either way, Ino was so not going to know about this. 

“I guess we’ll just have to break in Naruto’s new bed when he gets home.” 

Sakura smiled into the large bed she had bought for Naruto. It was the one thing she bought new, specifically for him and her to share. 

Her smile didn’t last long as new memories of Naruto trying to summon her, only for her to dispel herself out of embarrassment. It was going to be a long night.


	11. Chapter 11

Today was the day. Naruto was going to arrive in Konoha To-freaking-day. Which caused Sakura to be a cluster fuck of emotions ranging from terrified, to utter bliss and everything in between. 

“Okay, calm down,” Sakura shook her hands as she strutted down the street of Konoha. She wasn’t even nervous until she woke up that morning, then it all came flooding in. In truth, she had absolutely nothing to be nervous about. 

She had just seen Naruto yesterday, they even shared a kiss or two. Naruto was her boyfriend, and he loved her, just as much as she loved him. So she had absolutely nothing to worry about. Not in the slightest, and. 

And oh god was that Naruto walking down the street right in front of her!? It was too soon did he run here or something? Okay, deep breaths Sakura deep breaths. This was Naruto, of course, he got so excited he’d run all the back to Konoha, leaving Jiraiya in the dust. 

Or maybe Jiraiya sent him ahead as a buffer so that Tsunade would be less likely to murder him (Or at least make it quick). And where was her clone? Did he not summon her today? She certainly hadn’t been dispelled today. 

“Everyone, Naruto Uzumaki Has returned!” 

That idiot! Of course, he would climb up a random telephone poll she was ten feet from, completely oblivious to her existence. With a deep breath, Sakura released her anger and smiled up at her boyfriend. 

Seeing him washed away all the worries and negative emotions she had about his return. All that left was that familiar heart pounding feeling she got with each memory of her clone. Only this time it was in real time, not faint echoes. Just a real powerful drumming that was making her lips tingle at the idea of kissing him. 

“Okay, just keep it cool and stick to the plan. Leave him guessing then hit him hard.” Listening to Ino was a good idea at times. If she kept calm and followed the plan, then she’d be able to deal with her clone, get a date tonight, and leave Naruto thinking about her more than he already did. 

“Naruto?” She did her best to keep her glee suppressed under her neutral tone. “Is that you?” 

“Sakura!” Naruto jumped down in front of her. So very close to her. She could easily reach out and kiss him right now. Actually kiss him, not just the tingling after effects that her memories had. She wanted him to curl her toes. “Your forehead is beautiful and it makes me want to kiss it, oh hey when did you get that thing like Granny’s?” 

Of course Naruto would remember to tell her that, and of course, he would get distracted and mess it up in the best possible way. “Thank you Naruto, that’s very sweet of you.” Even if she wanted to hide her blush it was relentless. Even knowing that Naruto had told her that countless times made her heart flutter. 

Damn, did ever she have it bad for him. 

Taking a step closer towards him, barely a heartbeat's distance between them now. She pulled him in close. “I want you to show her to me.” 

“I, umm, show you who?” He was cute when he tried to act stupid. 

“You’re not in trouble Naruto, I’m actually happy that you spent all that time with my clone, now show her to me.” She honestly didn’t know what she was going to do once she met herself. But Ino was right, she needed to make that part of her understand. And accept her. 

“Okay, just promise you won’t be mad.” Naruto crossed his fingers and let out a breath. “Shadow Clone Jutsu.” 

In a puff of smoke she appeared, herself. A near perfect replicate, save only her hair being an untamed mess, the lack of a Strength of a Hundred Seal, and the fact that she was currently swimming in Naruto’s clothing. 

Her clone glared at the space between her and Naruto, then at herself. She was not going to give up Naruto without a fight. She latched onto Naruto’s arm and pouted. “What do you want?” 

Sakura smiled resisting the urge to punch herself. Naruto might be dumb enough to fight against his own clones. But she had a bit more tact than that. “I just want to talk to you.” 

She extended her hand out in peace. 

Her clone glared at the hand before she slowly reached out for it. The second they touched, Sakura felt a rush of energy and light headed. 

XXXX

Nothing. Not even a color, no constant white, or black, just nothing. Then there was a thought. And color exploded into the void filling it with substance, color gave way to shape, then shape gave way to form. 

And finally thought. 

Sakura exploded into her own mind, an unearthly hue followed her every thought.

Then she appeared, her very existence screamed into the void, a pulsating form of the darkest blacks and purest whites. Her form jittered and shunted at random. 

“You’re trying to get rid of me aren't you?” 

“You want him all to yourself. And you want Sasuke too.” 

“You hurt him you beat him.”

“He’s mine mine mine!” 

Thoughts slammed down into existence from nowhere forming the ground they stood on. Memories bled from every thought, Naruto was in all of them. Her hitting him, ignoring him, or choosing Sasuke over him. 

“Calm down.” Sakura tried to speak, the sound of her voice and thoughts bled into each other. “I want what you want.” 

“Liar.” 

“You want Sasuke.” 

“How would you know what I want?” 

“We’re different now.”

“You don’t know what we’ve been through!”

The thoughts exploded in all directions slamming into both Sakura’s, sending them spiraling in opposite directions. 

“Yes I do!” Her thought was a healing rain with light gusts that pushed the two together. “I experienced everything you did!” 

Every drop of water another memory of her and Naruto on their journey. From the first day to their every kiss. The two Sakura’s took another step towards each other. 

“So what?” 

“I don’t want to disappear.” 

A massive wall of doubts stitched together with fear and anger separated the two of them now. 

“You’re already fading, look at yourself.” both Sakura’s were in pain now, their forms becoming wispy and ethereal. “This isn’t going to help either of us.”

The wall began to crumble away as the two continued to walk forward. 

“Please, do it for Naruto. Don’t you want to be able to spend our life with him? There’s so much that we can do if we’re whole.”

What ever defiance was left vanished. 

XXXX

Sakura blinked in shock for a moment. Her clone had vanished and she felt somehow… whole. She wasn’t even aware that she had been missing something until she was made whole. Everything seemed brighter, the grayness that had been clouding her vision suddenly became clear. 

And Naruto, if it was possible her love for him doubled in a heartbeat. 

CHA! What are we waiting for? Push him against the wall and nail him! 

It felt so good to be complete again. 

Naruto looked very confused. And oh so very kissable. “Wait, where did Sakura go?” 

Of course, he didn’t think of them as separate people, he was either too stupid to think of a clone of her as different from her, or knew that no matter what Sakura was Sakura. She preferred to think it was the latter. 

“Don’t worry, Na-ru-to.” His name dripped off her tongue like honey. “I’m right where I’m supposed to be.” She began to unzip his jacket slowly pulling it down as she brought her face so close to his once again. 

It was taking every bit of her willpower to spoil the plan and take him home right now. But no, Tsunade needed to speak with him first, then he was all hers for the next twenty-four hours. She was so tempted to tell him then that she loved him twice over. 

And how could she not? She had spent three years as a clone with him, Three years smiling at the memories that came to her each day. And three years missing him every day. Nine years worth of longing, all in one heart. 

But she had to be careful, her love was but one of many things she needed him to hear that night. She hoped it would be the highlight of his night. “First, I’m going to take your jacket, then you’re going to go talk to Tsunade, after that I want you to meet me at your apartment for your second surprise, then well we have a lot to talk about.” 

“What was my first surprise?” His hand pressed against the small of her back with an uncertain shake to them. 

“This,” In one motion she pulled his jacket off and wrapped it around their heads hiding them from the public and making her first real kiss a private hidden affair. It was quick, barely a graze to leave him in a daze. 

She danced backward, feeling lighter than a feather as her heart pounded with the ferocity of a rampaging elephant. She slipped on his jacket and backed away, enjoying the dazed smile on her boyfriends face. “Remember Naruto, meet me at your apartment when you’re done with Lady Tsunade.” 

 

CHA! Then we nail him! 

XXXX

“I should have gone with him,” Sakura paced for the umpteenth time in front of Naruto’s old apartment. The last bag of his things sat within kicking distance of her. Was it too soon to move all of his stuff to their new house already? Would he freak out and not want to live there? 

What if he didn’t want to live with her? What if he felt it was too soon for them to share a bed? She could sleep on the couch well enough, but with him so near there was no way she’d be able to respect that. She’d have to go back to her parent’s house. “It’d be such a pain to move everything back too.”

Who cares! One blow job and he’ll tie us up and make sure we never leave!

Sakura groaned and rested her head against the railing, just her luck, she absorbed her clone and was now twice as perverted as before. This was all Jiraiya’s fault. And Naruto’s especially Naruto’s. 

With a smile, she took another smell of his jacket. It stunk and needed to be washed. But it smelled like Naruto, at the moment that was the most important thing. 

“Sakura!” Naruto came running up the stairs, his loose navy blue shirt bouncing with every step exposing a titillating flash of those hard earned abs. “Sorry to keep you waiting, granny kept talking about killing the Pervy-Sage.” 

Ooh, new most important thing. Quick make him take his shirt off! Cha!

Sakura couldn’t help but smile as naruto leaned on the railing beside her. The only thing this apartment had over their new home was the view. But even then it was a minor thing that could be fixed with a quick walk. 

And there was something more important for her to be looking at. 

It felt like a dream being so close to Naruto after three years of missing him. In many ways, he was the same as the Naruto that left the village, in others, he was something new and exciting. His formerly round and boyish face was now rugged, manly and handsome. 

Oh was he ever handsome. 

Just looking at him made her wonder why she never noticed how wonderful he really was. She was lucky that he fell for her in the first place, let alone continued to chase after her no matter how stubborn she was, but he finally had her now. 

“Why are you staring at me?” Naruto scratched the back of his head, his smile was wide, pressing against his pink cheeks. 

“Why wouldn’t I?” Sakura turned to face him more directly. A playful tap on the chest, before she grabbed his shirt and pulled him close to her. “Don’t you know how into you I am?” 

Her second real kiss, it was soft, warm and inviting, a promise of each day being filled with more and more kisses. Her toes curled as she bent one knee in the classic pose of kissing a boy that was taller. 

She ended the kiss with a small shove away from her. Mostly to stop herself. As fun as just making out with Naruto sounded, there was much they had to do today. She pulled out a small pink cloth and held it up to him. “Cover your eyes I want this to be a real surprise.” 

“Is it inside my apartment?” Naruto bounced on his feet as he put the blindfolded. Smiling stupidly at her. “Though I kind of thought my surprise would be something different.” 

“And how do you know it will be different?” Sakura slung Naruto’s last bag of clothes of her shoulder. She took his hand in her marveling at his rugged touch. Though there was no way that Naruto would ever guess the surprise that she had in store for him. 

“Well, you’re still wearing clothes.” 

CHA! That’s what I’m talking about taking him home and do him! He Wants it! 

Her face felt like it was on fire as she felt a massive blush spread across her face. Was this how Naruto was going to try and seduce her? It was so unromantic, and blunt! She kind of liked it. “Well, maybe later.” 

We are wearing the red lingerie set. 

“But, trust me, you’re going to love this.” She hoped. Why on earth was she the one that had to tell him all this? That his parents are dead and we’re moving into what was going to be your childhood home. Oh, and your father is the one that sealed the Kyuubi into to say nothing that your mother was its previous container, and that it was likely your birth that caused the seal to weaken and unleashed the Kyuubi on Konoha. 

At least we’ll be there for him 

Sakura led him by his hand trusting Naruto to be able to keep his footing as she dragged him through the twisting roadways of Konoha. His new home was close, just a hop, skip, and a jump from his old residence. But it was long enough for Sakura to agonize over every little detail. 

“So umm, what exactly happened with err you?” Naruto asked, the smile from her kiss and promise of something more finally died down enough for him to speak again. “The you that was with me on the training trip that is.”

“Do you remember when Ino swapped our minds as a prank?” The house was in view now, months of work had gone into rebuilding it, and she was beyond happy with the results. It really did feel like her home now. 

“Yea, right before we left right?” Naruto tightened his grip on her hand. 

“Yep,” Sakura nodded. “That’s when a piece of my mind got left inside of yours, after that it became your shadow clone, and when a shadow clone gets dispelled the original gains its memories, and when we touched I guess we became one or something.”

“Huh,” Naruto said pretending like he totally understood. “That’s pretty neat. I guess we should thank Ino though huh.” 

Ino’s reward was not getting pummeled for all the headache she caused. “I’m sure you’ll think of something.”

She paused at the door and took a long deep breath. This was it. “Your surprise is inside.” 

“Does that mean I can take off my blindfold?” Naruto asked, holding onto the blindfold. 

“No, You can take it off inside okay?” The door creaked open and Sakura led Naruto into their living room, dumping the last of his things onto the couch. She fumbled with the spare set of keys, hiding them behind her back. Everything was set up, all she had to do is not fuck it up. 

It wasn’t like she was going to propose to him or anything! She had no need to feel nervous about this! 

“Okay, you can take it off now.” Sakura watched with baited breath as Naruto took off the blindfold.

His smile slowly died as he looked around the room confused. “Uhh, whose house is this?” 

Right, she probably should have thought this out more. 

She held up his set of keys in front of him, barely able to hold herself together. “It’s mine, err well that is it's actually yours, it’s yours, I kind of moved all of your stuff in anyways, and my stuff is kind of here too, I can leave if you want, but umm yea welcome to your new home!” 

She shoved the key into his chest, blushing madly, she so did not think this through! How on earth was she even going to tell him about his mother tonight? 

Before she could pull away from him Naruto held her hands against his chest. “Are you saying that this is my house?” 

She nodded.

“And that you want to live here with me?” 

“There’s only one bed,” Sakura mumbled as she refused to look him in the eyes. Why was it so easy to be bold when it was just her clone! Or in her own head where she practiced this conversation a thousand times in the shower. “So I can sleep on the couch if you want.” 

The keys jingled as they struck the floor, Naruto forcing her hands down as he squeezed her in a bone crushing hug. “Are you kidding! This is great Sakura! Nobody’s ever done something like this for me. I want to spend every night I can with you.” 

Cha all according to plan! Now head in there and get ready for a sleepless night of sex with our hunky blond lover!

Her entire body warmed into Naruto’s hug as she returned it. From now on she was going to share a bed with Naruto, she was going to wake up every morning to his adorable blond face. 

“This is the best surprise ever,” Naruto whispered into her hair, his breath sending shivers down her spine. He was so happy right now, all she would have to was wait and not tell him about his parents. 

With a heavy sigh, she pushed him back, still holding onto his hands. “That’s not all Naruto, follow me.” 

“What else can you possibly do for me Sakura? You’ve already given me so much.” He followed her to the bedroom regardless, a giddy smile plastered on his face at what she had planned. He was probably hoping for something with less clothes. 

It’s not too late! Quick strip strip strip! 

Sakura sat down on the end of the bed with him, pulling a picture out from onto of it. For a moment she just stared at Naruto’s mother in her full shinobi garb, she really was a beautiful woman. She handed it to Naruto, who looked at it curiously. “Naruto do you know who this is?” 

“Is it your aunt? She’s really pretty like you are Sakura, and her hairs red.” Naruto’s eyes were glued onto the painting now that it became evident that they weren’t getting naked. He touched the picture tentatively. “Should I know her?”

She grabbed his arm, doing her best to keep a smile on her face. “Naruto, this is Kushina Uzumaki.”

His eyes went wide meeting hers for a moment before they darted back to the photo. 

“She’s your mother Naruto.” She ran her hand on his back as tears began to well around his eyes. It was better that he knows the whole truth from her. “Before you, she was the container of the Kyuubi.”

“She was?” Naruto choked out, the last bit of his will breaking as tears flowed freely from his eyes. “Do you know what happened that night? The night I was born?” 

“Don’t blame yourself for this Naruto,” She held him tighter. This wasn’t even the worse part, she had tried again and again to make sense of what happened that night. But without being there, without talking to those involved, all she could do was speculate. “The seal that was placed on your mother was weak during childbirth.” 

He froze. His words nothing more than a whisper. “She died because of me.” 

“No!” Now she was crying. “Listen I don’t know what happened that night, but there was no way the seal would have failed with your father there! Something had to have happened!” 

Sakura retrieved a second photo and handed it to Naruto, this one of Minato Namikaze. “There you see him? That’s your father, the man that sealed the Kyuubi into you. He was a seal master, everything I read about the seal shows that while it is weak, your father had it covered! Something had to have happened. So please don’t blame yourself okay?” 

It pained her to see him like this. But it was for the best, he needed to know, and Tsunade was right she was the best one for the job. 

“Sakura?” Naruto turned to look at her, his eyes already redding from the tears. “Can you leave me alone for a little bit?” 

Sakura squeezed him one last time and planted a kiss on his cheek. “I’ll go cook some dinner then. I’ll be here if you need me, always.” 

It pained her to leave him alone while he was like this, but she understood his need to be alone with his thoughts. “Maybe some ramen will cheer him up?” 

Or kill him, knowing her cooking skills. Either way, he wouldn’t be sad anymore. 

Ramen was a dish she had learned how to prepare months ago, while she wasn’t as good as Ichiruka's hopefully Naruto would think that it was the thought that counted and eat her love filled ramen to his heart's content. “Maybe I should have waited a bit and given him a night where he could just be happy, then tell him everything tomorrow.” 

It was so unfair that she got stuck being the one to tell him all this stuff. All she could do was make ramen and hope that he didn’t blame himself for his parent's death. 

After what seemed like an eternity their bedroom door opened. Sakura watched him as she slowly stirred the pot of broth she had made. He walked up behind her and hugged her tightly, desperate to never let her go again. “You feeling better?” 

“Thank you Sakura,” Naruto mumbled into her hair. His voice was shaky even as his hands were steady. “For everything, for the house, for being with me, for telling me about them, for well yea. I love you.” 

Sakura smiled at his words, setting the ladle down for just a second. So he was the first one to say it, she had known for a long time that he loved her, why else would he do so much for her for so little. And then there was the way he looked at her, there was no way that he could look at her like that and not love her. “I love you too.”

She spun around in his arms and pulled him down into a soft kiss. It didn’t last nearly long enough for her tastes, barely a second of tenderness before she dropped down onto her heels and resumed cooking. “I’m making ramen by the way.”

Naruto squeezed her tighter. “I really really love you Sakura.” 

“I know dummy, I know.” 

Squeeze his ass!


	12. Chapter 12

There was one problem with sharing a bed with Naruto whenever they were in Konoha. It wasn’t that he tended to snore loudly, or that no matter what happened she’d wake up with Naruto holding onto her. No those weren’t really problems, though the snoring was annoying it wasn’t enough to keep her up at night.

No, it was because Naruto was warm, sure if they lived in a colder climate or during the winter it’d probably be a boon. But they were in Konoha, a warm enough place even when they weren’t in the middle of a heatwave. 

So far her solution was to remove all blankets from their bed and leave the ceiling fan on while they slept. It had worked wonders. 

Sakura woke up and smiled as she felt Naruto’s body heat engulf her. She eagerly awaited the winter months where she could pile on the covers and cuddle with her living space heater. There were many reasons for her to be happy this morning besides waking up with her head resting on Naruto’s defined chest. For the first time since Naruto had gotten back, they had nothing to do. No Kazekage rescue missions, no chasing after Sasuke and Orochimaru. Just a day of doing nothing and being with each other. 

Oh and going to see her parents, but that really didn’t count as a thing. That was just dinner plans. 

Sakura sighed as she snuggled into Naruto’s chest, not quite willing to start the day without him. The fact that Naruto’s hand was currently kneading her ass was a good sign that he was at least in the process of waking up. 

I know a good way to wake him up quick!

Her gaze drifted south and she saw that she was very very right. Naruto’s monolith of masculinity had slipped free from his boxers as his morning wood made itself known. Did she really want her first time to be wake up morning sex? 

Sex is sex!

Desire burned the dregs of her sleep away. It wasn’t that they hadn’t tried, or that there wasn’t time. But if they weren’t in the mood, somebody went out of their way to interrupt them. Mostly Sai, or Yamato. However, now, in the privacy of their own home on a day that she and Naruto had nothing better to do. They could have sex for the first time, the second time, the third time. 

As many times as they wanted until they had to meet her parents for dinner. 

“Fuck it,” Sakura mumbled into Naruto’s chest. She was horny now, and there was no way that Naruto wouldn’t be happy waking up to mind blowing sex. With her eyes locked on Naruto’s slumbering face, she grabbed hold of his hard-on and began to stroke it slowly up and down. 

When she last tried this, she had no idea what she was doing with her only training coming from Jiraiya’s perverted books. But now, she had knowledge on her side, and that knowledge allowed for some creativity; such as the application of chakra to stimulate certain areas. 

It took one chakra laden stroke to cause a guttural growl escape from Naruto as his dick grew even harder, his hips thrust into her hand. All those awkward conversations with Tsunade and Shizune and late night sleepovers with Ino were suddenly paying off. 

Naruto’s moan was all the encouragement she needed to go further. 

Bringing her leg around his waist Sakura slowly positioned herself to take Naruto, all the while slowly pumping him with chakra enhanced pleasure. He was hard as diamonds and radiating so much delicious heat. Using his penis as a tool she moved her boy shorts the side along with her underwear. 

It was too much work to undress fully. This would do for now. 

With her chakra acting as a muscle relaxer Sakura slowly guided Naruto inside of her, she was naturally petite and tiny, and he was without a doubt, well endowed. It hurt just as much as it felt good as she took him inch by inch. Even with her muscles relaxed it was a tight fit. 

But it felt so good. She mounted him, slowly moving from side to completely straddling him. Just a few more inches and she would have Naruto completely inside of her. She moaned loudly, her body shaking as she continued to lower down onto Naruto. “Mmm Naruto.” 

“Sakura?” It was probably the fastest she’d seen Naruto wake up. His eyes flew open and his hands flew to her hips as he tried to sit up. 

With one arm Sakura pinned him down, her super strength easily keeping him against the mattress as the last inch of Naruto’s cock rested inside of her. She felt full, “Now now Naruto, Just let me handle this.” 

Before Naruto could respond she released the chakra relaxing her muscles, causing her to tighten around Naruto, earning a grunt from Naruto while her body shook from both pain and pleasure as she found herself already reaching a climax. It felt so similar to the times she had experimented. Only more, like the feeling was going to build into something massive. 

“Fuck!” Naruto’s hands flung to the mattress, grabbing hand fulls of the covers, his eyes nearly bulging out of his head. His hips thrust into her with a will of their own. “Sakura!” 

Sakura bit her lip as the pain faded and her body shook with the pleasure that filled the void. She ground her hips against Naruto, matching his wild thrusts. She could feel it building with each motion, like the swelling of tides against a levy. “Follow me, Naruto, I’m leading, you follow.” 

Whether or Naruto Naruto knew what she was talking about was lost in his grunts and moans. But slowly they fell into a rhythm Naruto thrusting deep and deeper into her driving her wild. It happened without warning, whatever had been building exploded. 

Her entire body quivered and spasmed, legs trembling as leaned forward to kiss naruto with the full might of her orgasm. It was a hungry kiss filled with desire and lust. “Naruto!” 

“Sakura!” Naruto sounded so weak and pathetic, like all of his will was being directed towards something else. “I’m going to.” 

Reality snapped back to Sakura to gather what Naruto was about to say. He was about to cum inside of her. She spun around removing Naruto from her pussy, missing his warmth instantly even as the waves of her first orgasm still rocked her. 

It took two strokes before Naruto shot his load high into the sky, nearly hitting the ceiling fan. 

Sakura turned and looked at Naruto, as they were both sweaty and tired. She couldn’t help but smile at his exhausted form. “Good morning.” 

“Next time give me a warning!” Naruto breathed out staring up at the ceiling. 

Aww, must have taken a lot out of him 

XXXX

Sakura hummed to herself as she prepared an early lunch for herself and Naruto. The smile affixed to her face was a monument to her love. The sound of Naruto slowly stumbling out of their bed room echoed into the kitchen. 

Here in their home, they could forget about the outside world. Forget about being a ninja, forget about Sasuke, Akatsuki, nothing mattered inside these walls but him and her. And she wouldn’t have it any other way. 

Naruto came from behind her wrapping his arms around her waist as he kissed her cheek. He was always like this, spoiling her at every turn. “What you making?”

“Just rice and fish,” Sakura said as she spun in his arms, he was wearing her favorite shirt, none. With just his orange pants on and necklace dangling against his chest he looked like something out of a wilderness survival fantasy. Only freshly showered. 

Naruto pouted even as he leaned his forehead against hers. “No ramen?”

“We just had amazing sex and you’re expecting me to make you ramen?” She nipped at his lips even as she rolled her eyes, giving him but the briefest of kisses. 

“So, I have to choose between sex with you and ramen?” Naruto asked as he stepped forward, lifting her up onto the counter with ease. He playfully bit her lip, before slowly leaning to actually kiss her. 

His hands roamed her exposed stomach, playing with the sweat soaked fringes of her sports bra. She bit his lip as she turned leaned back to look at him. “The answer to that better be obvious Uzumaki.” 

Naruto leaned in stealing another kiss from her. Her legs had wrapped around his waist caging him against her. “Well, I’m always awake when I have ramen.”

“I’ll make certain you’ll be awake for the next time.” She wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling herself off the counter as he fully supported her now. She kissed him again, and again. 

“When’s that?” 

Oh oh! Shower sex shower sex! Nothing beats getting hot and steamy while you’re hot and steamy! 

“Well, if you’re a good boy and set the table and promise to do the dishes I think I can work it in sometime after lunch.” Sakura squeaked when Naruto nearly dropped her to the ground, as he sped around the kitchen. 

Not doing dishes and shower sex? Best deal ever! 

It was win win really. 

“Sakura?” Naruto asked halfway into their meal.

“Mmm?” Couldn’t he have waited until after she was done chewing? Seriously he had horrible timing and she couldn’t cook fish worth a damn! It felt like she was chewing rubber! How on earth did Naruto even go get seconds? 

He reached across the table softly stroking the back of her hand with his thumb. “I wanted to thank you, for all of this, I know I’ve said this before, but really just thank you. I love being here with you, I love that I have a real home, and I love feeling like I have a family.”

“But most of all I love you.” 

I know what we’re having for dessert tonight! 

Sakura took another bit of her far too chewy meat while her face was easily matching her hair for the pinkest thing in the room. Her entire body felt warm from Naruto's words, flirting and teasing, and sex talk she could handle but she could only take so much mush! 

Oh, system overload! Entering Tsundere mode! 

“Idiot,” Sakura barked as she swallowed the bite still partially whole. She smiled even as tears fell from her eyes. “Don’t say stuff like that out of nowhere!” 

“Ahh! Sakura don’t cry!” 

XXXX

“Just relax Naruto.” Sakura squeezed Naruto’s hand as she had to all but drag him towards her parents home. They were on the street where they grew up on, a boring little shoot off from the main market street - equal amounts store and residence. “I’m sure they’re going to love you.” 

Hopefully, at the very least they need be okay with the fact that their daughter was in love him. 

“But what if I mess up! These are your parents Sakura! I need to impress them!” Naruto ran a hand over his jacket smoothing it out even as he drug his feet. “I don’t want to embarrass you in front of them.”

They were her parents she was more afraid of them embarrassing her in front of him. There were somethings that Naruto didn’t need to know. Like her pink elephant, she left in their closet instead of bringing it to her home with Naruto. Or her baby photos. “Alright Naruto, here’s what's going to happen.”

“First, my father is going to try and intimidate you by pulling rank, he’s a chunin now, but I’m fairly certain you can still beat him so don’t let him get to you.”

XXXX

A chunin vest rested on the table between Naruto and her father, her mother had ambushed her and dragged her into the kitchen so she could only make out bits and pieces of their conversation. Mostly due to her mother rambling on about her day at the shop. 

“Now then, I suspect you know what this is right boy?” Her father growled putting on an overly macho tone as though to make up for the fact that he cried just as much as his girls did when they watched sappy movies as a family. 

“That’s the vest they give you when you become a chunin isn’t it?” Sakura smiled as she stirred the pot, Naruto sounded less than impressed. Sure he wanted to be a chunin, but her father was older than Kakashi. He should have been chunin years ago!

“That’s right boy,” Was he calling Naruto boy as part of some macho intimidation thing? “That means I out rank you, which means if you hurt my daughter in any way I’ll make sure you’ll regret it.” 

“Dad,” Sakura shouted putting the pot down. “I’m a jonin, now get trying to stare my boyfriend before I make you regret it!” 

“Yes honey,” Her father deflated in his chair, the wind gone from his sails. 

“Wait!” Naruto scrambled up from the seat and poked his head into the kitchen. “You’re a jonin?”

“Oh,” Sakura bit her lip and focused back on prepping for dinner. “Did I forget to tell you that?” 

XXXX

 

“Then my mother is going to say something stupid, rude, awkward, or embarrassing. Probably all four actually, she’s not going to mean anything by it so just do your best to smile and nod.” 

XXXX

“Well, I must say Naruto so far you’re proving to be quite the gentleman.” Mebuki smiled warmly as she reached across the table to lightly tap Naruto’s hand. So far dinner had gone wonderfully, and Naruto’s natural charm was wearing his parents down. “Though I must know, how many tails are my grandchildren going to have?” 

“Mom!” Sakura slammed her hands on the table causing nearly all the dishes to jump an inch. Her face turned crimson, She was sixteen! That was far too even consider having a child! That was too young to even plan the rest of her life out!

Bring Sasuke back, marry Naruto, become Hokage, have a single child…. Oh and have sex with Naruto lots and lots of sex. 

“What are you even talking about?” Sakura shouted even as Naruto sat there with a blush that rivaled hers. Though the lecherous grin on his face showed that he was recalling their adventures in baby making. “Naruto doesn’t have any tails!”

“Well no,” Mebuki looked offended as though amazed that she was the only one to think of this. “But he has the whiskers, who knows what kind of stuff the fox could pass down onto your kids!” 

“Might be pretty fun to have a grandkid with a tail actually.”

“Nobody asked you, dad!” 

“Look, I’m just saying if Naruto’s going to be raising the kids while you’re busy being the Hokage it’s important to be prepared, even if you do have normal children.” Mebuki took a sip of her tea to end her sentence, looking as smug as any mother could in that moment. 

“Wait!” Naruto snapped out of his recollection of the morning's activities slamming down a hand on the table. “Why would Sakura be the Hokage?” 

“Cause she wants to be the Hokage,” Hizashi joined his wife in a victory sip of tea. “Been her dream for almost two years now.” 

Naruto stared at Sakura his eyes narrowing to being dangerously close to a glare. 

Ooooh, we’re having angry sex already? Awesome! 

“Oh,” Sakura scratched her cheek finding the corner of the room very interesting. “Did I forget to tell you that?” 

XXXX

“Then, they’re going to embarrass me and make me hate the fact that I agreed to bring you over for dinner.” 

XXXX

Please let a stray Kunai fly through the window and strike me down! 

 

Sakura groaned sinking further into her chair as she watched her parents murder the self-image of a badass into the ground. How on earth was Naruto going to respect her after tonight? Not only did he find out that she was a jonin and of her desire to be Hokage, not that she was hiding those from him, she just hadn’t found a good time to bring it up. 

“And here’s Sakura when she tried to dye her hair blonde so she could be Ino’s sister.” Her parents had brought out their weapon of mass embarrassment, the photo album. And needless to say, Naruto was completely entranced by it. 

“Oh, and here we are on the first day of the academy!” Naruto pointed at another photo. 

“Oh my Naruto, it appears as though you’ve had eyes on Sakura for a while now huh?” Mebuki snickered as she pointed at the same photo. 

That piqued Sakura’s interests. She leaned over to see the school photo of their class during picture day, all of them were there, she and Ino stood near Sasuke making googly eyes at him. And Naruto… Naruto was looking at her his cheeks were light pink. 

“Heh, yea.” Naruto smiled at his mother completely oblivious of Sakura. “Yea, my crush on Sakura is why I started competing with Sasuke to get her attention.” 

Ba-bump, and that ladies and gentleman is the sound of Sakura’s heart skipping a beat. 

Naruto had liked her for that long? His rivalry of Sasuke was because of her? She should date him. Wait she was already doing that. She should kiss him, wait did that. Fuck his brains out? Wait did that twice. Oh, she should marry him. Yep, good plan. 

“And here’s one of her in the bath when she was a baby!” Her father pulled out a photo and handed it to Naruto.

Kill me now!

“Oh hey!” Naruto pointed towards her sudsy infant form, right at the small birthmark she had near her breasts. “You’ve had that cute mark on your boob since you were a baby? Awesome!” 

A silence drifted over the room. Yes, her idiot boyfriend had just blurted out to her parents that he had seen her naked at least once. 

“And how do you know about that birthmark?” Her father produced a kunai and began to spin it about. 

“Oh, I saw it when we were having sex in the shower.” 

Idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot, idiot! That’s not something her parents needed to know! 

“Well, what did you expect we live together,” Sakura huffed folding her arms in protest. Her parents had no right to butt into hers and Naruto’s sex life! Even if her boyfriend was the idiot blabbing it to the whole world. 

Though to his credit, he was probably resisting the urge to run around the village screaming that he had sex with the girl of his dreams. 

“Wait! Leaving together? Since when!?” Her mother stood up dropping the album as she looked between them her mouth wide open. 

“Oh,” Sakura scratched the side of her cheek. “Did I forget to tell you that?” 

XXXX

“But in the end, you’ll say something sweet somehow making the whole night worth it.” 

XXXX

“Listen so I know that, we have a lot to talk about.” Sakura paced about their living room, she was so ready for today to be over. But it probably wasn’t a good idea to go to bed with a grumpy Naruto. It was like going to bed with her hair wet, she’d just wake up to a mess! 

“I just wanted to say sorry that I didn’t tell you I was a jonin, I didn’t actually mean to keep that a secret from you, I just kind of forgot, and you should be happy, it was because of my jonin pay that I was able to afford to fix up the house.” 

Naruto just sat there watching her, his face an unreadable mask. Was he annoyed at her? Oh god, what if he didn’t want to date somebody that wouldn’t support his dream of becoming Hokage? What if he wanted her to give up that dream so that it was less competition for him? Would she do that? In a heartbeat but she’d probably end up hating him for it and that would just lead to more complications further down the line and might even lead to a messy divorce where she moves to Suna and marries Gaara!

Wow really? That’s where I went? I wonder if I got a thing for Jinchuriki. 

“And as for me wanting to be Hokage, well that’s your fault you know! I didn’t want to be, hell I never even thought about it, until you said I could and you kind of made me want to be Hokage, and look I'm sorry but I don’t think it’d be a good idea for me too give up that dream, I mean I’ll support you as much as I can because I still want to be Hokage, but I want you to be Hokage to and and…”

Sakura stood panting as she stared at her Boyfriend a warm smile on his face sent a shiver down her spine. 

“Well?” She asked holding her hand out to him before dropping it back down. “Aren’t you going to say anything?”

He stood up and walked towards her. “It’s impossible not to look at you and think you’re the most beautiful woman in the world.”

The kiss he offered her made her knees weak, as she leaned into him wrapping her arms around his neck even as his hands staying on her shoulders. She could feel everything from that kiss, all of Naruto’s answers, all of his desires. 

Their wordless desires mingling with one each other as a soft expression of their love. 

Sakura rested her head on Naruto’s chest. “I love you,” 

“I love you too, Sakura.” Naruto rubbed small circles on her back removing the remainder of her stress. “But, may the best kage win!”

Sakura laughed, “I’m sorry which one of us is a jonin? I should get you an apron, cause I wear the pants in the relationship.” 

Naruto bit at her ear. “Fine, I’ll just not wear pants in the house.” 

“That has to be the worst threat ever”

“Who said it was a threat?”


	13. Chapter 13

She honestly thought she would ever be happy doing the laundry. It was the kind of thing that used to be on the list of “Things to make Naruto’s clones to,” Sure there was a bit of a bumpy start but once he figured out that if he did them properly he was rewarded very enthusiastically he became much more willing to at least do them some of the time. 

That came to a stop when she discovered that him using shadow clones to live a hundred lives was causing him to mentally age faster than normal (Which explained her rapid maturity during Naruto’s training), and she wanted her idiot to remain ever so slightly idiotic. She didn’t want an old man for a lover. 

So after the war and their house was rebuilt, They divided up the chores in the fairest way possible. Naruto would do the dishes and take care of their lawn, she would cook (Admittedly the easiest chore considering they ate out every other night) and do the laundry, and they’d clean together. 

“This is oddly therapeutic,” Sakura muttered to herself as she folded another one of Naruto’s boxers in a neat bundle. With an armful of her boyfriend’s boxers Sakura spun on her heel and marched towards his dresser, he used to just throw all of his clothes in a pile on his bed like a wild animal. “At least now he’s domesticated.”

Sakura slid open the boxer draw, a bit of a mess from the last time Naruto rummaged through there with several pairs of bunched up in the corner. Sakura sighed into another smile as she began to sort through Naruto’s underwear. She hit something hard under the boxers and peered beneath them. 

It was black. A hard black box that felt like velvet. 

Her mind went blank and she slammed the drawer shut. Her face felt hot. Very very hot. Was that? No, it couldn’t be they were only twenty. Where did it come from? Was it something else? Did she even want that? 

CHA! Call me Sakura Uzumaki!

No it couldn’t be that. Sure she’d probably say yes in a heartbeat if he asked her. But they’d never even talked about, it not that they had much of a chance with the war and then the repairs and they had been so busy with everything. And then there was Sasuke, he was back in the village which was great. But there was no way he was going to stay, she could hear it every time they spoke. He didn’t think he belonged here, at least not yet. 

But that wasn’t important! She had just found a velvety black box in her boyfriend's boxer drawer. Her boyfriend who she had been living with for well…. The exact amount of time was impossible to guess when clones were thrown into the mix. But it was for a long time! “Oh come on Sakura you’re just seeing those things, Naruto’s the type of guy I’d have to remind to marry me, or he probably thinks we’re already married. There’s no way that he’d have a ring box in his drawer.” 

She opened the drawer again. The box was still there.

“Okay so he has a jewelry box, he probably just keeps the pieces of Tsunade’s necklace in there. That’s all.” It was hidden for a reason though. She grabbed the box, feeling it’s smooth texture. This was breaching her trust with Naruto! Surely she didn’t want him to dig through her private things… like that lingerie, she bought on a whim and so far hadn’t mustered the courage to wear. It was on the list. 

The box snapped opened, a shining diamond ring that must have cost him an arm and a leg…. Okay, bad metaphor. Still, the ring was absolutely gorgeous, there was no way that this was for anything but to propose with. Her mind went blank as she removed the ring from the box. It slid so effortlessly onto her ring finger. It was a perfect fit. 

She could hear her heartbeat as she stared at the ring on her finger. Naruto had bought her a ring! He was going to propose to her! She was going to say yes, yes, yes, a thousand times yes. They were going to get married, they were going to get a house, wait, they already had a house. A wedding she needed to start planning for it! Were they going to have a spring wedding? Or maybe one in the summer! Oh, a winter wedding with snow would be absolutely gorgeous but probably a bit cold. Fall could be pretty.

“Wait, cherry blossoms! We need to do it when they’re in bloom it would be so perfect! We should also do it at sunset so that way the sky can be cast orange and pink!” With a hand placed on her cheek, Sakura continued to freak out. Stomping her feet she let out a girlish scream that would do her twelve-year-old self-proud. 

The front door opened. “Sakura? You okay? I heard you scream!” 

The ring was inside the box and buried in underwear before Naruto came into the room. “Oh don’t worry Naruto it was just a spider,” 

Naruto blinked at her his arms burdened by bags of groceries. “You’re not afraid of spiders though.” 

Caught red-handed! “I um, well What’s in the bags?”

A smile broke out on Naruto’s face. “Steak and other stuff.” Was that a candle sticking out of one of the bags? “I’m going to cook dinner tonight so don’t worry about that, I’ll do the dishes tonight too. it’s going to be great Sakura!” 

Was Naruto making her a steak dinner? She loved this man and he was all hers forever and ever, especially because he was so totally going to marry her. Sakura swallowed and brought on a nervous smile. “Sounds great Naruto.” 

XXXX

Four O’clock, the curtains were drawn, the table was set, the candles were lit and Sakura sat in her seat, wearing a cheap tank top that showed off a lot of her shoulders - a feast for Naruto’s eyes - and sweatpants. For a steak dinner, she was underdressed. For a steak dinner at home that her boyfriend had cooked three hours before he was supposed to, she was dressed about right. 

Sure she had smelled him cooking, but she didn’t even have a dress that was clean from that last formal diplomatic dinner they had to attend! She only had like two dresses! (Something that Ino considered a sin). And just because she found herself happy doing laundry didn’t mean she liked doing it. 

CHA, not like Naruto cares, he thinks it's sexy when we’re comfy. 

He probably had a fetish for her wearing pajama pants or her workout attire. 

“Here you go!” Naruto slid an ever so slightly to well done steak in front of her, covered in some kind of sauce or gravy that looked like dried plastic. It smelled like lemon and salt, and a bit of lettuce and a leek - a whole leek, not cut at all - served as garnish. 

There was a reason why they ate out so much. Her own ability to cook was questionable at best, but they would smile and eat it. There was no intestinal damage. Yet. 

Tapping it with her fork Sakura found it to be both tenders in places and rock hard in others. At Least it wasn’t trying to growl at her like the time they tried lobster. “Thank’s Naruto it uhh looks delicious.” 

Naruto smiled nervously quickly taking a drink from his glass of… something was it the wine Ino bought her? he was still nineteen for a few more weeks, but nothing was stopping her from buying alcohol and bringing it home. “Well, it is a special night after all.” 

It was? Oh god, what was it? How could she forget something important!? Let's see here what was today. August… it was August did anything important happen in August? Was it his mother’s birthday? No that was in July, and they didn’t really celebrate that, was it Iruka’s birthday? No, if it was a birthday they’d be celebrating with the person, probably with cake. 

It wasn’t the date of their first date, first kiss, or their first date was it? No, she had those memorized and marked on the calendar. Wait. Today was the day that he met Futaki! Was that idiot actually celebrating meeting that slutty little princess? Who, was the grass’s primary diplomate with leaf and spent more than enough time in the leaf trying to get her Naruto’s attention. Was that idiot trying to celebrate that? 

“Oh,” Sakura mumbled as she began to cut into her steak. “Yep, it sure is worthy of a steak dinner”

Especially this steak dinner. 

Taking a piece into her mouth Sakura was surprised that it actually tasted good. Not amazing, or even great, just good, like a decent Riceball for lunch. Nothing to write home about or even remember. 

“Yea,” Naruto laughed taking another sip from his drink, he held the glass there for a moment before he let out a long sigh. He was planning something. “Well, it’s just that we’ve been together for a while now and…”

Wait wait wait, was he going to propose now? Here in the middle of their home, with no witnesses around after feeding her a crap steak dinner. While she was in her sweatpants? He was going to propose to her while she was wearing sweatpants! Sakura let out a laugh and continued to cut the steak. “We sure have, and it's been absolutely perfect.” 

Keep it, cool girl! You can do this. Just wait for the ring, act surprised and then kiss him over and over again. 

Another nervous laugh from Naruto, he looked so pathetic right now it was adorable. “Yea, well it's just with Sasuke back and all I thought that.” 

Of course, that idiot would want to wait until Sasuke was back to marry her. That stupid promise was weighing him down still. Still, it might be one of the more annoying reasons why she loved him. 

“It’s just that he’s leaving soon to go travel or something, and I just thought that maybe you’d want to be with him…. And not me.” 

Her plate cracked down the middle and her knife was now buried into the table. Did he just? Was he? “What?”

Naruto squeaked, nearly jumping out of his seat. Which probably would have been smart. What would have been smarter would be for him to start running. “Well, it’s just that you still love Sasuke. And you’ve been really happy since he came back. And I just thought maybe you’d want to be with him and not me. So please Sakura if you want to be with Sasuke I won’t be mad, you can even have the house!”

We’re in love with the biggest idiot ever.

Sakura slammed her hand down onto her knife, sending it through the table and causing the table to split in the middle, giving her a direct path towards her unbelievably idiotically stupid idiot of a dumbass she called a boyfriend. 

“Narutooooooo.” She growled allowing the anger to seep out in every house shaking stomp towards him, the plates and glasses shattered under her footfalls. 

He was cowering now. Good, he should be afraid, he should be very very afraid. 

With no resistance she picked up one of the most powerful shinobi in the world by his shirt collar and held him there, his feet dangling a few inches from the ground. Stupid tall idiot. 

“Naruto Uzu-fucking-maki, you listen here when I say this. I love you.” She said that at least twice a day to him, often times more. “During the war, when the Kyuubi was removed from you and you were dying, wait no scratch that you were dead. It wasn’t some other slutty idiot that kept you alive. No that was me. For Five fucking minutes and twenty-nine seconds, I beat your heart with my hand. Your life belongs to me.”

With one hand still on his collar, she showed him the hand that she used to beat his heart. Making a pumping motion with it. “I cried for you, I fought for you. I told you I loved you every single day. I am the woman I am today because of you. I am happy because of you. I have this wonderful home because of you. And we saved the fucking world because of you.” 

“So no. I don’t love Sasuke. He’s a friend and a teammate. But you, you are the stupid dumbass idiot that I’m going to spend the rest of my life with.” She dropped him to the ground and pointed towards their bedroom. “Now go get the ring that you hid in your boxer drawer and propose to me before I murder you.” 

Naruto didn’t move, probably because his legs were shaking too much. “How’d you know about that.”

“Idiot,” She growled, folding her arms over her chest. Her foot tapped lightly on the ground as the anger faded from her. “It's really smart to hide something like that in your underwear drawer when your girlfriend does your laundry. Now hurry up.” 

On his hands and knees, Naruto scrambled into their bedroom. Moments later he reemerged from the room, his face red as a tomato, and hand outstretched with the box still closed. He stopped when the box was within arms reach of her. “Here you go.” 

“Naruto,” She sighed touching the box and his hand gently. “If you want this, please do it properly.” 

The anger at his idiocy had vanished at the sight of the box. Now it was replaced by a feeling that caused her entire body to feel like it was on fire and ever so slightly numb. Her face was probably as pink as her hair. 

Naruto got down on one knee, opening the box slowly while looking at her in the eyes. Fear and sadness were quickly washed away by the tide of courage Naruto often displayed. “Sakura Haruno, will you marry me?”

“Yes,” The ring slid on her finger like it belonged there. “Now let's go have Ichiraku ramen and let everybody know!” 

Only Ino cared that Sakura was wearing sweatpants. Everybody else thought it was about damn time.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

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